Marketing, utility and authentication templates are priced differently. Choosing the right category can cut your WhatsApp bill a lot.
Per-message pricing
Since July 2025, Meta charges for each delivered template message, based on its category and the recipient’s country. Free-form replies inside the 24-hour customer service window are not charged.
The categories
Marketing covers offers, launches and re-engagement. Utility covers updates about an existing order, booking or account. Authentication covers one-time passcodes. Marketing is priced well above utility and authentication in India.
Get the category right
Order confirmations and shipping alerts belong in utility. If they include promotional content, Meta may classify them as marketing, which costs more. Keep transactional templates purely transactional.
In TextNSMS
Your campaign shows an estimated cost by category before you send. The final charge follows the category Meta reports for each delivered message.
Frequently asked questions
Who decides a template's category?
You choose a category when you submit it, but Meta reviews it and can re-categorise a template, for example from utility to marketing if it contains promotional content.
Related service
Bulk WhatsApp with TextNSMS
Prepaid wallet, pay per message, DLT-compliant routes. Serving Delhi, Noida, Gurgaon and all of India.