WazzaBeeThe 24-hour rule
in WhatsApp
The main rule of the official channel: as long as less than a day has passed since the customer's message, you reply freely and almost for free. After that, only with an approved template.
- A simple explanation
- How it affects the price
- How to use it
How leads are lost right now
Three situations almost every company knows
The message won't send and nobody knows why
An agent writes to a customer and the system asks for a template. It looks like a glitch, but it's a platform rule.
People think it's a limitation of the service
Customers compare providers and assume that somewhere the window doesn't exist. Everyone has it, because it's Meta's condition.
Businesses overpay for nothing
They send a paid template where a reply inside the window would have cost almost nothing.
What it looks like in a conversation
The customer writes and for 24 hours we reply however we like. Longer than that and we send a template, and the conversation continues.
How do you work with the 24-hour window from day one?
The connection itself takes about 15 minutes. To keep windows from closing for nothing, we prepare templates and a button for your customers right away.
Sign-up and line
You create a dashboard and a WhatsApp Business API line. It shows the window status for every conversation.
Number on the official channel
You fill in the Meta form and verify the number with a code.
Templates to restart a conversation
We prepare a few templates for when a customer has been silent for more than a day.
Website widget
You add a button so the customer writes first: each of their messages opens 24 hours of free-form conversation.
Business verification
Meta verification removes the daily limit on new conversations, but has no effect on the window itself.
What you get
Clear about what's allowed when
Inside the window, free-form text; outside it, a template. One rule that always applies.
Cheaper conversations
Replies inside the window cost the minimum: it pays to have the customer write first.
The window is visible in the chat
Your dashboard shows whether the window is open for a given conversation.
Templates ready to go
We help you prepare a set of templates for the times when the window is closed.
The widget opens the window
A button on your website brings the customer in with the first message, followed by a full day of free conversation.
No surprises on the invoice
Once you understand the rule, you know in advance which message will be charged for.
Inside the window vs outside it
The same message costs differently depending on when it was sent
How does the 24-hour window change your bill?
Split your messages into replies inside the window and templates outside it, and the calculator will show the difference in money.
Your country
Meta rates depend on the recipient country. Below are the final prices per message.
Promos, discounts, invitations: marketing messages
Order status, appointment reminders, payment reminders
Everything an agent writes to a customer while the 24-hour window is open. The first 1,000 per month per number are charged at a reduced price
How much do messages inside and outside the window cost?
The line fee is fixed. Messages within 24 hours of a customer's message cost the minimum, and templates are paid by their category.
WhatsApp Business API channel
29 900 ₸ / month
or $68 · €61
Messages are billed by Meta: the price depends on the recipient's country and the type of conversation. Marketing messages cost more, while replies sent within 24 hours after the customer writes are almost free for the first 1,000 a month per number and billed at the market rate after that. We quote the current rates when you connect.
Payment by Visa or Mastercard; for companies we issue an invoice.
What's included
- Official WhatsApp Business API channel
- Shared chat for the whole team: browser and phone
- Bitrix24 and amoCRM integrations
- Broadcasts and template notifications
- Open REST API and webhooks
- Free widget for your website
- Auto-replies: greeting and after-hours
- Help with setup and templates
- Voice messages transcribed by AI
- Quick reply templates
The first 7 days are free on any plan. Try it on your own customers and only then decide.
Free manager seats: 3. Each extra seat costs 3 000 ₸ a month.
Pay for six months and get 10% off, pay for a year and get 20% off.
How the 24-hour window works
Meta introduced this rule so businesses couldn't bury people in messages. For a company it comes down to simple logic: the customer starts the conversation, and for a day you talk freely.
The clock starts with the customer's message
Every incoming message reopens the window for another 24 hours. While it's open, your agent writes ordinary text and sends photos and documents without restrictions.
Outside the window, templates only
If the customer has been silent for more than a day, you can only write first with an approved template. It's spam protection, and it works the same way with every provider.
How it affects the price
Replies inside the window are charged at the minimum rate, templates at their own category rate. So it pays to have customers reach out themselves: through a widget, a QR code or ads that open a chat.
What to do in practice
Keep a set of templates for reopening conversations, reply quickly while the window is open, and don't let unhandled enquiries pile up, because every expired window costs more.
What's worth remembering
- An incoming message resets the clock
- Inside the window any text and media is allowed
- Outside the window, only an approved template
- A template reopens the window once they reply
- A widget and a QR code help customers write first
- A fast reply costs less than a delayed one
- The window is shown on the conversation card
- The rule is the same with every provider
Frequently asked questions
What are the 24 hours counted from?
From the customer's last message. Every new incoming message reopens the window.
Can the rule be worked around?
No, it's Meta's condition and it's the same for every service. Promises of "messaging without limits" mean either templates or a grey scheme that risks getting the number banned.
What can we send inside the window?
Any text, photos, documents and voice notes, just like an ordinary conversation.
What if the customer doesn't reply for several days?
You send an approved template. As soon as they answer, the window opens again and the conversation continues freely.
Does the window affect the price?
Yes, directly: a reply inside the window costs the minimum, while a template is charged by its category. The calculator above works it out.
How do we land inside the window more often?
Make it easy for the customer to write first: a widget on your website, a QR code in the window, ads that open a chat. We help set all of that up.
We'll set your messaging up so you pay less
We prepare templates for closed windows and help make sure customers write first. The first 7 days are free.