⚡Quick answer -

Yes — under WhatsApp Business Platform (Meta / WhatsApp) it is possible to have multiple conversation windows open at the same time — and how they are billed depends on their types.

When should I use this guide?

Read this guide if you need to:

• Confirm whether overlapping windows are normal,
• Forecast charges when sending multiple template types, or
• Troubleshoot why a template did—or did not—create a new billable window.

When multiple windows can be open simultaneously

• You can have concurrent windows of different categories (e.g. “Service” window + “Marketing” window + “Utility” window) open for the same user.
• It’s also possible to have a “free-entry point” 72-hour window alongside any other open window types.
• Each category’s “window” is tracked separately: e.g. a Service-conversation window closes 24 hours after the last user message; a template-based window (Marketing/Utility/Authentication) follows its own expiry rules.

How billing works when multiple windows are open

Because of multiple overlapping windows, charges depend on which window and message type you use:

• Under the current model (post-July 1, 2025), messaging is billed per template message.
• If a user-initiated “Service” conversation is open (within 24 h of their message), you can send free-form messages (free) or even “Utility” template messages for free while that window remains open.
• If you initiate a “Marketing” or “Utility/Authentication” template conversation (i.e. business-initiated), that window is billed per template message — unless you fall under a “Free Entry Point” window (the 72-hour window opened after a user clicked an ad or CTA and you replied) in which case all template messages within that 72h window are free.
• Because of per-message pricing, sending multiple templates across windows means each template counts individually — even if windows overlap.

WhatsApp Business – Conversation Windows vs Billing Matrix (2025)

A complete decision table for Service, Marketing, Utility, Authentication & Free-Entry windows.

• Free = No Meta charge
• Paid = Template message billed per-message (based on category)
• Not Allowed = WhatsApp system blocks message (e.g., free-form replies after window closed)

SERVICE WINDOW (User-Initiated) – 24 Hours

FREE ENTRY POINT WINDOW – 72 Hours

(Triggered when user clicks a Click-to-WhatsApp Ad or Facebook Page CTA and you reply within 24h)

During the 72-hour Free-Entry window, all message types are free, regardless of category.

MARKETING TEMPLATE WINDOW

UTILITY (Transactional) TEMPLATE WINDOW

AUTHENTICATION (OTP) TEMPLATE WINDOW

WHEN MULTIPLE WINDOWS ARE OPEN

Summary (Easy Rule of Thumb)

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