WhatsApp Business implements new messaging rates to reduce marketing spam
WhatsApp Business is adjusting its pricing structure for businesses, with changes set to take effect soon. Starting August 4, rates for utility messages—like order updates and account notifications—will decrease, while rates for marketing messages will increase from October 4 onwards. This marks WhatsApp’s first update to its conversation pricing model, moving away from a flat rate to category-specific charges.
In various countries, the adjustments vary. For instance, in India, marketing rates will rise by 8%, whereas utility message rates will drop significantly by 67%, reports TechCrunch.
These changes aim to encourage businesses to use WhatsApp as their primary customer communication channel. Over the past year, user concerns over increasing message volumes and spam on the platform have prompted WhatsApp to implement safeguards.
Earlier this year, the company began testing limits on marketing messages per user in India and has since expanded these guidelines globally.
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“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,” a Meta spokesperson told TechCrunch in a statement.
WhatsApp Business has become a significant revenue driver for Meta, with the company reporting over 200 million users last year.
In my opinion, these adjustments by WhatsApp Business reflect a strategic move to balance user experience with commercial interests. By reducing rates for essential communication like order updates while increasing costs for marketing messages, WhatsApp aims to mitigate spam and enhance the platform’s utility for genuine customer interactions
