Release Notes
User GuidesFAQsSupport
Archive
Archive
  • 📄Table of Contents
  • 2024 Release Notes
    • Q4 2024
      • New: Clickatell AI
      • Channel Updates
        • WhatsApp: Free service conversations
        • WhatsApp: No support for HSM template format
        • SMS: Changes in test message sending
      • Broadcast Messenger
        • Onboarding for prepaid SMS clients & name change
      • Data Sharing Service
        • Enhanced templates & increased frequency
    • Q3 2024
      • Channel Updates
        • WhatsApp: Data Localization
        • WhatsApp: Cloud vs On-Prem Parity
      • Live Agent Chat
        • Department filtering for Tickets
        • Auto-responder updates
        • Ticket creation user journey outside of support hours
      • Self-Service Chatbot
        • Session timeout event (Phase 2)
        • Split syntax
        • Node Search Enhancement (Find & Replace)
    • Q2 2024
      • Campaign Messaging
        • NEW: WhatsApp Campaign Manager
        • Support for dynamic URLs in WhatsApp
      • Other Enhancements & Improvements
    • Q1 2024
      • Channel Updates
        • WhatsApp buttons & template enhancements
        • Sending and requesting locations on WhatsApp
        • WhatsApp text formatting
        • WhatsApp conversational components: Icebreakers and Commands
      • Self-Service Chatbot
        • Support for location templates and location request messages
        • Support for WhatsApp buttons & template enhancements
        • Session timeout event (Phase 1)
      • Other Enhancements & Improvements
  • 2023 Release Notes
    • Q4 2023
      • New: WhatsApp Templates 2.0
      • Automated Messaging
        • Business-Triggered Messages
        • New Send Template Node
      • Payments in Messaging
        • Chat 2 Pay 3.2.0
      • Channel Updates
        • Channels Report Update
        • WhatsApp Quality Rating & Messaging Limits
      • Clickatell Portal Updates
      • Other Enhancements & Improvements
    • Q3 2023
      • New: Support for 3rd-party integrations in Chat Desk
      • Automated Messaging
        • Default flow for invalid input
        • Dynamic List node enhancements
        • New & enhanced nodes
      • Other Enhancements & Improvements
        • 13 September 2023
        • 27 July 2023
    • Q2 2023
      • New: In-Channel Payments & Improved Checkout Experience
      • Automated Messaging
        • New Analytics Settings
        • WhatsApp Supported Features
      • Live Agent Messaging
        • Support for Media Templates
      • Channel Updates
        • Updated WhatsApp Message Template Categories & Pricing
        • New Marketing Opt-Out Button
      • Other Enhancements & Improvements
        • SAML & Social Login
        • Authentication Portal Enhancements
        • Enhancements & Bugs
    • Q1 2023
      • NEW: Integrations feature
      • Automated Messaging
        • New workflow nodes
        • Custom Button Text (WhatsApp)
      • Live Agent Messaging
        • Canned Replies
        • New Chat Desk Reports in Clickatell Portal
      • Channel Updates
        • WhatsApp Cloud-Hosted API
        • WhatsApp Commerce Feature
      • Other Enhancements & Improvements
  • 2022 Release Notes
    • Q4 2022
      • Automated Messaging
        • Previewer enhancements & HTTP Call node name change
        • Chat Desk node & Routing screen enhancements
      • Live Agent Messaging
        • Authentication Extension in Chat Desk
        • Ticketing Enhancements
      • Channel Updates
        • SMS Long Number Management & WhatsApp pre-approved templates
      • Other Enhancements & Improvements
        • Onboarding & subscription renewal enhancements
    • Q3 2022
      • New: Embedded Client Authentication
      • Automated Messaging
        • Channel display types & Chat 2 Pay node enhancement
      • Live Agent Messaging
        • Standardize CSAT ratings & WhatsApp Read Receipts
        • Extensions Redesign
      • Channel Updates
        • WhatsApp subscription bundle usage indicator
      • Other Enhancements & Improvements
        • Communication preferences & notification banners
    • Q2 2022
      • Automated Messaging
        • OAuth node & Previewer enhancements
        • 1-Click Deploy Process (Phase 1)
        • Assets Library
        • API Integration screen enhancement
      • Live Agent Messaging
        • SMS support on Chat Desk
      • Payments
        • Chat 2 Pay enhancements
      • Channel Updates
        • New WhatsApp sign-up process
      • Other Enhancements & Improvements
        • Billing information & closing accounts
    • Q1 2022
      • Automated Messaging
        • WhatsApp Interactive Messages
        • User Experience Enhancements
      • Live Agent Messaging
        • Performance improvements
      • Channel Updates
        • SMS Stop List Report
        • WhatsApp conversation-based pricing and reporting updates
  • 2021 Release Notes
    • Q4 2021
      • New: Chat Flow and Chat Desk reports
      • Automated Messaging
        • Emulator (Previewer) enhancements
      • Channel Updates
        • Channels report update
        • SMS
          • 10 DLC Brand Resubmission
          • 10 DLC registration process updates
        • WhatsApp
          • WhatsApp template sample messages
          • WhatsApp application form & notifications enhancements
          • WhatsApp Message Templates for Chat 2 Pay Extension
    • Q3 2021
      • New: Chat 2 Pay
      • New: 10DLC SMS Regulations
      • Automated Messaging
        • Recycle bin redesign, Media and Text Display node enhancements
        • Location Sharing node & Media node enhancements
        • Deleting flows & reordering options
    • Q2 2021
      • New: Reporting & Analytics for Transact
      • Live Agent Messaging
        • Pending Chats Feature
        • Department filtering, chat sorting, and CSAT support for WhatsApp
      • Automated Messaging
        • User Interface Redesign
        • Support of bi-directional location sharing
      • Other Enhancements & Improvements
        • New sign-up and discount vouchers
        • UX improvements & subscription packages
    • Q1 2021
      • Live Agent Messaging
        • Department-specific operating hours, notes, UX enhancements
Powered by GitBook
LogoLogo

© Copyright 2024 Clickatell. All rights reserved.

On this page
  • Changes to Template Categories
  • Pricing Changes
  1. 2023 Release Notes
  2. Q2 2023
  3. Channel Updates

Updated WhatsApp Message Template Categories & Pricing

Release date: 17 April 2023

Last updated 1 year ago

Available on all packages.

Changes to Template Categories

WhatsApp recently simplified its . Previously, when adding new WhatsApp message templates, you could select from a great variety of categories. Now, all message templates fall into one of only three categories:

  • Utility – Facilitate a specific, agreed-upon request or transaction or update to a customer about an ongoing transaction, including post-purchase notifications and recurring billing statements.

  • Marketing – Include promotions or offers, informational updates, or invitations for customers to respond/take action. Any conversation that does not qualify as utility or authentication is a marketing conversation.

  • Authentication – Enable businesses to authenticate users with one-time passcodes (e.g., account verification, account recovery, etc.).

Authentication template categories are not currently supported by Clickatell.

Marketing and Utility template categories are supported.

The Clickatell Portal now reflects these new category changes implemented by WhatsApp. Going forward, when , you can select either the Marketing or Utility category only.

Pricing Changes

Meta also introduced a new pricing strategy. The category of the template message used also defines the conversation category. Businesses are charged per 24-hour conversation, with different rates by conversation category.

There are three business-initiated conversation categories (all of which require customer opt-in):

  • Utility conversations – Facilitate a specific, agreed-upon request, transaction, or update to a customer about an ongoing transaction, including post-purchase notifications and recurring billing statements.

  • Authentication conversations – Enable businesses to authenticate users with one-time passcodes, potentially at multiple steps in the login process (e.g., account verification, account recovery, integrity challenges) (Not supported by Clickatell currently.)

  • Marketing conversations – Include promotions or offers, informational updates, or invitations for customers to respond/take action. Any conversation that does not qualify as utility or authentication is a marketing conversation.

The fourth category is service conversations – all user-initiated conversations will be categorized as service conversations, which help customers resolve queries.

In general, prices were impacted as follows:

  • User-initiated: Service messaging rates will remain the same.

  • Marketing: Generally increasing from today's business-initiated rate.

  • Utility: Generally decreasing from today's business-initiated rate.

For more information, see Meta's documentation .

Rates for business-initiated and user-initiated conversations vary by country or region. See for rate cards.

See examples in Meta's for more details.

here
here
pricing explainer document
template categories
adding a new open 2-way conversation template
WhatsApp reduced the number of their template categories.