Pricing

Quick Summary

WhatsApp charges businesses to send template messages (the kind used in Blaster or chatbot follow-ups). These charges are billed by Meta, not by ReplyLa. ReplyLa is just the platform you use to send them - the per-message fee goes directly to Meta based on your country and message type.

Two Types of Messages

WhatsApp splits all messages into two groups, and only one of them costs money.

1. Customer-Initiated Messages (Free)

When a customer sends you a message first, you have a 24-hour window to reply with anything - text, images, voice notes, links - and it is free of charge.

This is called a service conversation or the customer service window. As long as the customer messaged you first and you reply within 24 hours, no per-message fee applies.

Example: A customer DMs your shop asking "Ada size M tak?". You reply "Ada, RM45." - this reply is free.

2. Business-Initiated Messages (Paid)

When you send the first message - or when more than 24 hours have passed since the customer's last message - you must use an approved template, and Meta charges you per message.

Templates are required because Meta wants to make sure businesses don't spam users out of the blue. Every template you send is one that's been reviewed and approved by Meta.

Example: You blast a Raya promo to 1,000 customers who haven't messaged you today. Each of those 1,000 messages uses a template and is billed per message.

The 24-Hour Conversation Window

This is the single most important concept to understand:

The window resets every time the customer sends a new message. So an active conversation can stay free for as long as the customer keeps replying.

Template Categories and Pricing

When you create a template, you pick a category. The category affects pricing:

Actual rates differ by country (Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, etc.) and Meta updates them periodically. For the latest official rates, see WhatsApp Platform Pricing (Malaysia). You can switch the country and category dropdowns on that page to see rates for other markets.

Where These Costs Apply in ReplyLa

Per-message fees are charged whenever ReplyLa sends a template message on your behalf. The two main places this happens:

1. Blaster Campaigns

Every contact you blast receives a template message. If you blast 5,000 contacts with a Marketing template, that's 5,000 paid messages. See Blaster Overview.

2. Chatbot Auto Follow-Up

If you've enabled auto follow-up in your chatbot (e.g., "Send a reminder if customer doesn't reply in 12 hours"), each follow-up sent after the 24-hour window closes uses a template and is charged per message.

Replies inside the 24-hour window (normal back-and-forth conversations handled by your chatbot or AI Reply) remain free.

How Billing Works

1. You connect your WhatsApp Business Account to Meta and set up a payment method (credit card or prepaid balance) in Meta Business Manager.
2. Meta charges you directly for every paid message that goes out through your number.
3. ReplyLa's role is to send the message through Meta's API on your behalf. We don't see or touch the per-message charge.
4. You can review your usage and invoices in Meta Business Manager → Billing.

Common Questions

What's Next?

• Templates Overview - How to create and submit a template
• Media Guidelines - Image and video rules for templates
• Blaster Overview - Send broadcasts using approved templates