Conversations are 24-hour message threads (known as the customer service window) between you and your customers. Messages can be exchanged freely within this window once it is opened.

Meta categorizes conversations into three main types: Utility, Marketing, and Service conversations. Each category serves a specific purpose and follows Meta’s pricing structure. Let’s understand the three types of conversations: Marketing, Utility, and Service conversations.

1. Marketing Conversations:

• Business-initiated conversations to market a product or service to customers, such as relevant offers to customers who have opted in. Any business-initiated message that does not qualify as an authentication or utility message falls under this category.

• Scenario: Suppose you have an exciting new product or service to announce, or you want to entice your customers with targeted promotions. Sending an approved marketing template message counts as a marketing message and is charged per delivered message.

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2. Utility Conversations:

• Business-initiated messages relating to a transaction, including post-purchase notifications and recurring billing statements sent to customers who have opted in.

• Scenario: A customer makes a purchase, and you want to keep them informed about the delivery process. Sending a delivery update or order confirmation template message counts as a utility message and is charged per delivered message (unless it falls within a free messaging window).

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3. Service Conversations:

• Any user-initiated conversation, such as messages sent by customers to resolve queries or issues.

• Scenario: A customer reaches out with a question or concern about your products. If you respond within the 24-hour customer service window using free-form messages, those replies remain free of template messaging charges.

Note: Charges are incurred per delivered template message, with costs varying based on the message category (Marketing, Utility, or Authentication). Sending multiple template messages will incur charges for each delivered message. Free-form messages sent within an active 24-hour customer service window are not charged.

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What happens if you send templates of different categories in the same 24-hour conversation window? 

Under Meta’s current pricing model, any delivered template message is charged based on its category, regardless of whether it is sent during an active 24-hour customer service window or not.

For example:

• If a utility template is delivered during an active service conversation, it will be charged as a utility message based on the destination region’s utility-message rate.
• If a utility template is delivered during an active utility window, it will still be charged as a utility message, and the same 24-hour window continues.

In all cases, each delivered template is priced individually. The 24-hour window only determines whether free replies and utility templates may be sent without charge; it does not affect how pricing is counted.

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Keywords: Conversations, Marketing, Utility, Service, Charges, 24 hour window, Template charge.

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