From October 1, WhatsApp charges for your replies to customers
Meta has changed how it bills the messages businesses send over WhatsApp Business. Here is what changes, what it may cost, and how to pay as little as possible.
Calculate your cost01 · How it works
Two ideas that explain everything
The open conversation. When a customer writes to you, you have 24 hours to reply freely. Each time the customer writes again, the window restarts. None of that changes; what is new is that replies sent inside the window now have a price.
Scheduled messages. If the customer has not written to you in the last 24 hours, you can only send a template pre-approved by WhatsApp, such as an appointment confirmation or a promotion. These messages have always had a price.
02 · Message types
What does each message cost?
| Message type | Approximate cost (COP) |
|---|---|
| Replies"Yes, we have an opening on Thursday at 3 p.m." | 1,000 free per month then $3 COP each |
| Confirmations and noticesAppointment confirmation, test results notice | $3 COP each |
| Verification codesCode to sign in to a portal | $3 COP each |
| Promotions and campaignsPreventive check-up campaign | $41 COP each |
Values in Colombian pesos, for messages sent to Colombian numbers. Only messages that reach the customer are charged.
03 · What changes
What is new from October 1
- Replies have a price. It applies the same whether a person on your team or an automated assistant replies.
- 1,000 free replies every month, per number. If your business has two WhatsApp numbers, each one gets its own 1,000. Unused replies do not roll over to the next month.
- Appointment confirmations always have a price. They used to be free if the customer had written to you that same day. Now they are always charged.
- The price per message does not go up. An appointment confirmation or a code still costs about $3 COP and a promotion about $41 COP. What changes is that more messages are now charged, not that they cost more.
What will WhatsApp cost you from October 1?
Adjust your clinic's volumes and see the approximate cost of a month, before and after the change.
Your month of operations
Start with a typical case and adjust it.
| Replies sent1,000 free · 6,000 charged | COP 15,840 |
| Appointment confirmations and notices1,800 × 0.0008 USD | COP 4,752 |
| Campaigns400 × 0.0125 USD | COP 16,500 |
| Meta subtotal | COP 37,092 |
With agents that resolve chats in fewer messages (−40%), you would save about COP 7,392 a month. Turn it on above to see it.
04 · Examples
What can it cost per month?
Approximate WhatsApp cost for a clinic with one number.
| Size | Before (COP) | Now (COP) |
|---|---|---|
| Small practice300 conversations and 400 confirmations per month | COP 1,056 | COP 2,376 |
| Mid-size clinic1,400 conversations, 1,800 confirmations and 400 promotions | COP 21,252 | COP 37,092 |
| Large clinic3,000 conversations, 3,000 confirmations and 1,000 promotions | COP 49,170 | COP 94,050 |
| Large clinic with optimized nextocloud.ai agentsOur agents resolve the same conversations with half the messages | — | COP 70,290 |
In Colombia the amount is still low, but it now grows with every message. Resolving the same thing with fewer messages shows up on the bill.
06 · Direct connection
Why the official WhatsApp connection pays off
- You only pay WhatsApp's rate, with no intermediary fees.
- You see your usage, broken down by message type.
- You automate appointment confirmations, notices and replies, connected to your calendar.
- Several people can handle the same number, without depending on one phone.
- It is an official, verified channel, with less risk of being blocked.
07 · Your invoice
How will it show up on your invoice?
It depends on how your WhatsApp is contracted:
If Meta bills you directly
WhatsApp usage arrives on your Meta invoice. Your nextocloud.ai plan does not change.
If nextocloud.ai manages your WhatsApp
You will see an increase based on your actual usage, under the terms of your contract. Your base plan does not change.
If Meta bills you directly: make sure your Meta account has an active payment method. Without one, WhatsApp may stop delivering your replies.
Want to know what it would cost you? Tell us about your operation or book a review with our team.
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