When is WhatsApp Live Chat free, and what triggers it to become a paid conversation?
⚡Quick answer -
For Live Chat sessions to function properly via WhatsApp Business API (WABA), your account must:
- Maintain a positive account balance
- Be within an active Service conversation window
- Avoid using templates (which trigger paid conversations)
1. Credit Balance Must Be Sufficient
- Minimum balance of ₹1 or more is required.
- If the balance falls below this threshold:
- Outgoing Live Chat messages will fail
- Low-balance alerts will display on your dashboard
2. Scenarios where WhatsApp Live Chat is free
Service Conversations Count as Live Chat
- Live Chat runs on Service conversations (initiated by users via chat):
- The customer sends the first message
- Businesses can reply free of charge using free-form messages
- Valid for 24 hours from the last customer message
✅ Free, unlimited messages can be exchanged during this window.
Free Entry Point Conversations Count as Live Chat
- Live Chat runs on Service conversations (initiated by users via Click to WhatsApp Ad):
- The customer sends the first message by clicking on CTWA or WhatsApp/Facebook CTA button
- If a businesses reply within 24hrs, it opens a 72 hours free window
✅ Free, unlimited messages and templates can be exchanged during this window.
3. Templates Trigger Paid Conversations
- If you send a template message during or after Live Chat:
- Marketing → Paid
- Utility → Paid
- Authentication → Paid
- This opens a new chargeable conversation window per category.
Live Chat → immediately switches to billed mode if a template is used.
Alt text: Insights showing Paid conversation triggered by template, Balance indicator & low-balance alert, Insights showing Service (Free)
Important Notes
- Service conversations = Free, as it is customer-initiated
- Free Entry Point Conversations = Free, as it is also customer-initiated via CTWA or WhatsApp/Facebook CTA button
- Templates always = Paid, even inside an active Service window (except utility)
- Balance or expired windows doesn't support Live Chat replies
- Charges vary by region, per Meta’s official rate card
👉 In short: If the user starts the chat — either by messaging directly or via a click-to-WhatsApp/CTA ad — and the business replies in a timely manner, the conversation remains free (within the window).
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