As businesses leverage conversational AI for customer engagement, staying updated on pricing structure developments is essential. WhatsApp, a leading messaging platform for business communication, has recently announced significant updates to its conversation-based pricing, set to take effect on June 1, 2023. These changes introduce new conversation categories and modify the charges associated with different types of conversations. This blog post dives into WhatsApp’s updated pricing model and explores how Nuacem AI, a Conversational AI-Powered Customer Engagement Platform, can help businesses navigate and optimize their communication strategies.
Understanding the New Conversation Categories:
WhatsApp’s updated pricing model introduces three business-initiated conversation categories, utility, authentication, and marketing, alongside the existing service conversations, encompassing all user-initiated interactions. Let’s take a closer look at each conversation type:
Utility Conversations:
Utility conversations revolve around fulfilling specific customer requests and transactions or updating ongoing transactions. Examples include post-purchase notifications, recurring billing statements, or other agreed-upon customer-related updates.
Authentication Conversations:
Authentication conversations enable businesses to verify users using one-time passcodes. This category covers account verification, recovery, and integrity challenges involving multiple login steps.
Marketing Conversations:
Marketing conversations encompass promotional offers, informational updates, and invitations for customers to respond or take action. Any conversation not fitting into the utility or authentication category falls under marketing conversations.
Service Conversations:
Service conversations encompass all user-initiated interactions that help customers resolve their inquiries. These conversations are initiated when no other conversation window is open, and the business responds with a free-form message within the 24-hour customer service window.
Pricing and Conversation Charges:
WhatsApp’s conversation charges are now based on the template category used. Here’s an overview of how the charges are applied:
- Conversations will be charged based on the category of the template message used to initiate the conversation. Upon delivery of a template message, a new conversation of the corresponding category is opened and incurs the associated charge. However, no additional charges will be applied if multiple templates of the same category are sent within an open conversation.
- On the other hand, service conversations are initiated when no other conversation window is open, and a business responds to a user with a free-form message within the 24-hour customer service window. Using template messages within an open service conversation or a business responding with a template message initiates a new conversation based on the template’s category.
Changes to Free Entry Point and Free Tier Conversations:
WhatsApp has also made changes to the free entry points and free-tier conversations. Let’s explore these updates:
Changes to Free Entry Point Conversations:
- Conversations initiated through call-to-action buttons on Ads that Click to WhatsApp or Facebook Pages are not charged.
- Starting March 1, 2023, the free conversation window for these entry points is extended from 24 to 72 hours.
- This is the only conversation category that can be opened during a free entry point conversation, even if a business sends a template message within the three-day window.
- Standard pricing applies for Ads that Click to WhatsApp, where the conversation initiated from the ad is free, but not the ad itself.
Changes to Free Tier Conversations:
- From June 1, 2023, business-initiated conversations will no longer be included in the free tier.
- Each WhatsApp Business Account (WABA) will receive 1,000 free user-initiated conversations per month, irrespective of the number of phone numbers attached to the WABA.
- This change comes into effect on April 1, 2023, for all accounts except those managed by Business Solution Providers or businesses not relying on Meta partners for integration.
Benefits of the Updated Pricing:
Cost Management:
The revised pricing structure allows businesses to align their conversation strategies with their budget. With different rates for each conversation category, businesses can allocate resources effectively and invest in areas that drive the most value.
Targeted Engagement:
Businesses can personalize their messaging based on customer needs by categorizing conversations. Whether delivering transaction updates, verifying user identities, or offering enticing promotions, the new conversation categories enable businesses to engage customers more effectively.
Enhanced Customer Support:
Service conversations, previously known as user-initiated conversations, focus on resolving customer inquiries. By providing free and dedicated support within the 24-hour window, businesses can deliver superior customer experiences, leading to increased satisfaction and loyalty.
Nuacem AI: Empowering Conversational AI Experiences
To make the most of these WhatsApp updates and ensure seamless implementation, businesses can leverage the power of Nuacem AI, a Conversational AI-Powered Customer Engagement Platform. Nuacem AI offers a range of advanced features, including:
Multi-channel Integration:
Connect with customers on WhatsApp and other messaging platforms through a unified interface, enabling seamless omnichannel communication.
Intelligent Automation:
Leverage AI-powered chatbots to automate repetitive tasks, provide instant responses, and triage conversations based on their category, streamlining customer interactions.
Personalization and Contextualization:
Nuacem AI’s natural language understanding capabilities enable businesses to deliver personalized experiences, understand customer intents and provide relevant solutions.
Analytics and Insights:
Gain valuable insights into customer conversations, sentiment analysis, and performance metrics to optimize engagement strategies, improve customer satisfaction, and drive business growth.
Conclusion:
The recent WhatsApp Business Platform’s conversation-based pricing updates offer businesses greater flexibility, cost management, and targeted engagement opportunities. By leveraging the capabilities of Nuacem AI, businesses can unlock the full potential of Conversational AI-Powered Customer Engagement, streamline operations, and deliver exceptional customer experiences. Take advantage by adopting these updates and leveraging Nuacem AI to drive your conversational AI strategy forward.
