WhatsApp introduces free service messaging for businesses

New Delhi: WhatsApp has announced that starting November 1, 2024, service messages will be free for all businesses. 

Service messages, which include customer inquiries about order statuses, flight ticket rescheduling, and similar interactions, were previously charged at Rs 0.25 per message in India. Now, with this new policy, businesses can respond to customer queries within a 24-hour service window without any cost.

The move is seen as a direct challenge to the dominance of SMS, which remains the most used channel for enterprise communication despite its higher costs. By removing these fees, WhatsApp not only aims to attract more businesses to its platform but also encourages two-way interactions, potentially increasing engagement through its click-to-WhatsApp ads on other Meta platforms.

This initiative is also set to expand, with utility templates becoming free starting April 1, 2025, further reducing costs for businesses and enhancing the platform's utility for customer interaction.