Understanding Pricing for SMS and WhatsApp

When choosing messaging platforms like SMS and WhatsApp, you often focus on pricing. The pricing for both SMS and WhatsApp is calculated on a per-message basis, with a fixed charge applied for each message per region. Let's take a closer look at how pricing works for SMS and WhatsApp.

• SMS pricing
• WhatsApp pricing

SMS pricing

The SMS pricing is determined by number of messages you want to send and the country where you intend to send them. The price is calculated on a per SMS basis.

The pricing of SMS messages typically depends on:

• Country-specific rates: Sending SMS messages internationally usually incurs higher costs compared to domestic messaging. Different countries may have varying rates.
• No. of messages: The volume of messages sent can impact the pricing. Typically, you can get better rates for larger volumes of SMS messages.
• Features: SMS messages can include additional features like, merge fields, and short links, which may come at an extra cost. If your message is over 160 characters it will count as more than one - see character limit or long messages in Character limit

For example, Number of messages: 5,000, Country: United Kingdom (UK), and Cost per SMS: £0.04. To send a marketing campaign of 5,000 SMS messages to customers in the UK. The cost per SMS is £0.04. The total cost of the campaign is £200.

The pricing for template messages also varies by the volume of messages sent. Higher message volumes can lead to discounted rates. Sending a large number of messages may qualify for tiered pricing options, with lower costs per message as the volume increases.

For the first 1,000 messages, the cost per message is £0.05, totaling £50. As the volume increases to 5,000 messages, the business qualifies for tier 2 pricing. Now, the cost per message decreases to £0.045, resulting in a total cost of £225.

WhatsApp pricing

WhatsApp pricing is determined by type of message template, and the region where it's being sent. Whether it's a marketing message, a utility notification, or an authentication message, each has its pricing structure.

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You will be charged based on the number of messages that are successfully sent.

The pricing of WhatsApp messages depends on:

1. Country-specific rates: WhatsApp pricing varies by geographic region due to differences in local regulations, market demand, and costs. For example:
   • In the UK, the rate per Utility message is £0.0387 per message.
   • In India, the rate per Utility message is £0.0131 per message.
2. Message template type:

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Note:

Some profiles have auto-response enabled. It comes under a fourth category called service, and will be charged as per WhatsApp rate for the service template type.