What happens if I respond after the 24-hour window of a free-entry point conversation?

Free-Entry Point Conversation Overview

A Free-Entry Point (FEP) conversation gives you 72 hours of free billing once a customer messages via a Click-to-WhatsApp Ad or Facebook Page CTA and you reply within 24 hours. However, the 24-hour customer service window still controls whether you can send non-template (free-form) messages.

≤ 24h since customer’s last message: You can send non-template messages (and templates) — free under FEP.
> 24h and < 72h: The service window is closed → you must use a template. Billing is still free while FEP is active.
≥ 72h: FEP has expired → any business-initiated template opens a paid conversation by its category. Non-template still requires a new customer message to re-open the 24-hour window.

Key concepts: 24h vs 72h
Scenario table: What you can send & what it costs
How to verify in your UI
API / logs (copy-paste samples)
Edge cases & limitations
Expected outcomes
Related FAQs
Support & escalation

Key concepts: 24h vs 72h

Free-Entry Point (FEP) window — 72h (billing): Starts when a customer messages through an eligible entry point and you reply within 24h. All traffic during these 72h is not billed.
Customer service window — 24h (message type): A rolling 24h timer from the customer’s most recent message that determines if non-template messages are allowed.

Warning : After 24h, non-template messages are blocked even if the FEP window is still active. Send a template instead; it remains free while FEP is active.

Scenario table: What you can send & what it costs

Timing vs customer's last message	Non-template allowed?	Template allowed?	Charged?	Conversation state
Within 24h and FEP active	Yes	Yes	Free (within FEP)	FEP open; service window open
>24h and <72h (FEP active)	No (blocked)	Yes	Free (within FEP)	FEP open; service window closed
≥72h (FEP expired)	No (blocked)	Yes	Paid (by template category)	FEP closed; new paid conversation opens on template send

How to verify in your UI

A) Meta WhatsApp Inbox (example UI)

Go to Inbox → open the conversation.
Verify the Free Entry Point — Active badge with a countdown (e.g., 2d 03h left).
Check Customer Service Window: Active (non-template allowed) or Closed (non-template blocked).

Screenshot — Free-entry active (Meta Inbox)

Caption: FEP badge shows remaining 72h time; service window timer controls non-template.

B) Your provider’s dashboard (typical)

Open the ticket/conversation in your provider inbox.
Look for labels like Free Entry Point, $0 charge, or a 72h timer.
If the service window is closed, non-template sends will show a composer warning; switch to a template.

Screenshot — Attempt to send non-template after 24h

Caption: Composer warns that non-template is blocked after 24h; use a template (still free under FEP).

C) Mobile app (iOS/Android) — if supported

Find FEP and service window badges in the conversation header or info panel.
Some apps place the 24h timer next to the composer; a red banner appears when non-template is blocked.

iOS

Open the conversation → tap the name/header.
In the Info sheet, confirm Free Entry Point — Active with a days:hours timer.
Check Customer Service Window status: Active (non-template allowed) / Closed (non-template blocked).
If closed, sending free-form shows a toast: Use a template to continue.

Android

Open the conversation → tap ⋮ Menu → Details (or Info).
Confirm Free Entry Point — Active with remaining hh:mm.
Verify Customer Service Window: Active / Closed.
If closed, the composer displays a banner and a Template shortcut.

API / logs (copy-paste samples)

Info : Field names vary by provider. Use these as patterns for parsing and alerts.

1) Webhook/log example (FEP active, service window open)

{
  "event": "message",
  "conversation": {
    "type": "FREE_ENTRY",
    "origin": "click_to_whatsapp_ad",
    "expires_at": "2025-12-31T23:59:59Z"
  },
  "service_window": {
    "open": true,
    "seconds_remaining": 21600
  },
  "pricing": {
    "category": "FREE_ENTRY",
    "billable": false
  },
  "customer": {
    "wa_id": "+15551234567"
  }
}

2) Webhook/log example (FEP active, service window closed)

{
  "event": "message_send_attempt",
  "conversation": {
    "type": "FREE_ENTRY"
  },
  "service_window": {
    "open": false
  },
  "error": {
    "code": "NON_TEMPLATE_NOT_ALLOWED",
    "message": "Customer service window closed. Use a template or wait for customer reply."
  }
}

3) Template send (Cloud API) — copy/paste

{
  "messaging_product": "whatsapp",
  "to": "+15551234567",
  "type": "template",
  "template": {
    "name": "follow_up_request",
    "language": {
      "code": "en"
    },
    "components": [
      {
        "type": "body",
        "parameters": [
          { "type": "text", "text": "Alex" }
        ]
      }
    ]
  }
}

Edge cases & limitations

Customer hasn’t messaged yet: FEP requires an eligible inbound and your reply within 24h.
Opt-out/Block: Respect user preferences; both non-template and templates may be blocked.
Media/interactive outside 24h: Use a template that supports media if the service window is closed.
Agent handoff: Changing agents won’t extend 72h or re-open 24h.
Time zones: Timers use message timestamps, not the agent’s local time.
Provider variance: Some UIs hide category chips during FEP; others show them as inactive.

Expected outcomes

≤24h & FEP active: Non-template and templates send; no charge.
> 24h & <72h: Non-template blocked; templates send free while FEP lasts.
≥72h: Templates open a paid conversation (by template category). Non-template remains blocked until the customer messages again.

Visual: 24h vs 72h timeline

Caption: The 24h service window governs non-template permissions; the 72h FEP window governs billing.

Support & escalation

If behavior differs from this FAQ or sends fail unexpectedly, open a Support ticket from your admin portal (include message IDs, timestamps, and screenshots), or contact your Customer Success Manager. Typical response time: 1 business day.

Updated on: 21/09/2025