Product documentationWhatsApp rates by country and category
How WhatsApp reminders are charged in EasyWebinar: message categories, which of your messages fall into each, and how to see what a message costs in each country.
- Applies to
- WhatsApp messages set on a webinar's Notifications tab · charged from your EasyWebinar credits
- Status
- Live
- Verified
- Page type
- Reference
WhatsApp messages are charged per message, by the message's category and the country of the person receiving it. Length doesn't matter. Keep reminders to the facts and they're charged at the lower utility rate; add an offer and the whole message becomes marketing, the highest rate.
At a glance
| Charged per | Message, whatever its length |
| Price depends on | The message's category and the recipient's country |
| Categories | Utility, Marketing, Authentication |
| Who sets the category | Meta, which runs WhatsApp |
| When credits are taken | When each message is sent |
| Sent from | An EasyWebinar number |
How WhatsApp is charged
Credits = category rate for the country × number of messagesA short reminder and a long one cost the same. What changes the price is the kind of message and where the person lives.
Message categories
Every WhatsApp business message is sent from a template that Meta approves and places in a category.
| Category | What it's for | Relative price |
|---|---|---|
| Utility | Information about something the person signed up for: confirmations, reminders, schedule changes | Lower |
| Marketing | Anything that promotes: invitations, offers, replay promotions, announcements | Highest |
| Authentication | One-time codes to confirm a number or sign in | Lower |
Meta decides the category, not the sender. A message that mixes useful information with a promotion is treated as marketing, and Meta can move a template into marketing later if it reads as promotional.
Which category your messages fall into
| Your message | Usually | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Welcome Message confirming a registration | Utility | It confirms something the person asked for |
| Reminder Message with the time and join link | Utility | It's about a session they registered for |
| A reminder that also pushes an offer | Marketing | Any promotion makes the whole message marketing |
| Follow-Up Message promoting the replay or an offer | Marketing | It promotes |
Keep reminders at the utility rate
- Keep reminders to the facts: the time, the topic, the join link. Leave offers and "don't miss out" wording to email.
- Send promotions as their own message, so reminders aren't charged as marketing.
- Aim follow-ups at the people most likely to act, such as no-shows who need the replay.
Marketing messages also face delivery limits that utility messages don't: WhatsApp caps how many each person receives, and it doesn't currently deliver them to US numbers. See WhatsApp message not delivered.
Rates by country
To see what a message costs in a country, open Settings → Credits & Usage, click Estimate what you need, and choose WhatsApp, the country and how many messages.
Limits and things to know
- WhatsApp messages only reach people who gave a phone number on your registration form.
- They come from an EasyWebinar number, so replies don't reach your phone.
- Rates can change. Meta updates its prices at the start of a quarter, and the rate in effect when a message is sent is the one charged.
- At 0 credits, WhatsApp messages pause until you add credits.
- Follow the WhatsApp messaging guidelines so your messages keep being delivered.
Common questions
Does a longer WhatsApp message cost more?
No. WhatsApp is charged per message, whatever its length.
Why do some messages cost more than others?
They're in a different category. Promotional messages are charged at the marketing rate, the highest.
Can I choose the category?
No. Meta sets it from the message's content. Keeping promotion out of reminders keeps them at the utility rate.
Is a reminder marketing or utility?
A reminder about a webinar someone registered for is usually utility. Add an offer and it becomes marketing.
Which costs less, WhatsApp or SMS?
It depends on the country and the message. Compare them in Estimate what you need under Settings → Credits & Usage, and see how SMS is charged.
Related
- Credits and rates: how credits work and the order they're spent in.
- WhatsApp message not delivered: why a message doesn't arrive, and WhatsApp's error codes.
- WhatsApp messaging guidelines: permission, what you can send and how to stay delivered.
- SMS rates by country: per-segment pricing for text reminders.
SMS rates by country
How text reminders are charged in EasyWebinar: segments, what makes a message cost more, and where to find the rate for each country.
WhatsApp messaging guidelines
What WhatsApp requires before you message registrants: permission, what you can and can't send, and how to keep your messages delivered.