WhatsApp Business is set to revise its messaging rate in a bid to reduce marketing spam and enhance user experience.
Effective from August 4, utility message rates will be decreased, while marketing message rates will see a rise from October 4.
Under Meta’s updated pricing structure, businesses are charged based on four categories: marketing, utility (eg order updates), authentication (eg one-time passwords) and service (customer service).
WhatsApp Business marketing messages will become more expensive
In India, marketing rates are set to rise from $0.0099 to $0.0107 (up 8%), however utility conversations will see a significant drop of 67%, from $0.0042 to $0.0014.
The changes address concerns of rising unsolicited WhatsApp messages, leading to increased spam across more channels. Traditionally, customers received marketing spam via email, however direct access into consumers’ messaging inboxes has been met with mixed reactions.
Testing in India earlier this year to block messages deemed less likely to be read was positive, and the company has started to expand its new guidelines globally.
The company commented (via TechCrunch): “People turn to WhatsApp to do everything from asking questions about a product, receiving a boarding pass, or getting an offer for a holiday sale. There can be too much of a good thing, so we’re working to find the right combination of tools to get this right so people continue having a great experience messaging businesses on WhatsApp.”
Regardless of the perception of marketing, WhatsApp Business has become a significant revenue stream for Meta, boasting more than 200 million users globally. By changing its pricing structure, the company continues with its battle to pacify users on both ends of the spectrum – both consumers and businesses.
