What changed
From 1 October 2026, free-form service messages sent through the WhatsApp Business Platform inside the 24-hour customer service window are charged per delivered message, after a monthly free allowance of 1,000 per business phone number. Utility templates sent inside the window are also charged. Rates vary by country.
Check Meta’s current pricing documentation and your provider’s rates for the figures that apply to you.
Measure messages per journey
Start by counting how many messages each journey sends for each participant who completes it. This shows where design changes will make the biggest difference.
Combine and cut messages
- Merge consecutive short messages into one where it reads well.
- Remove filler such as "Thanks!" followed by a separate next question.
- Drop confirmations that repeat back what the participant has just said, unless accuracy matters.
Reduce re-asks
Every invalid answer costs at least one extra message. Clear options, buttons or lists, and forgiving input matching reduce the number of times a question is repeated.
Move long content out of the chat
Long information split across several messages can often be replaced by one message with a link to a page or document, where that suits participants’ data budgets.
Review reminders and nudges
Look at how often reminders are sent and whether they lead to replies. Fewer, better-timed reminders often perform as well as frequent ones.
Consider other channels
For some messages, another channel may be suitable. Programmes that need to move between channels will find a multi-channel platform easier. BotFlow Host covers channel resilience for RapidPro programmes.