What is Free Tier Conversations?

Free Tier Conversations

Service conversation opens when a customer messages you. That inbound message starts a rolling 24-hour customer service window during which you can send non-template (free-form) replies at no charge. This is different from business-initiated conversations (Marketing, Utility, Authentication), which are billed per 24-hour category window. A Free-Entry Point (FEP) window lasts 72 hours (billing-free) when a user comes via Click-to-WhatsApp Ad or Facebook Page CTA and you reply within 24 hours. The 24-hour Service rule still controls whether non-template messages are allowed.

Tip : You can still send templates while Service is open; those templates follow category billing (Marketing/Utility/Auth) unless an FEP window is active.

What counts as a free Service conversation?
24h Service vs 72h Free-Entry (how they interact)
What you can send & what it costs (scenarios)
How to verify in your UI
API / logs (copy-paste samples)
Edge cases & limitations
Expected outcomes
Related FAQs
Support & escalation

What counts as a free Service conversation?

A conversation is free (Service) when all are true:

The customer initiates the chat by messaging your business.
You respond within 24 hours of the customer’s most recent message.
You send non-template (free-form) replies while the Service window is open.

24h Service vs 72h Free-Entry (how they interact)

Service window (24h): Controls whether non-template messages are allowed. It resets with each new customer message.
Free-Entry (72h): A billing-free window that starts when a user clicks CTWA/Page CTA and your team replies within 24h.
Interplay: After 24h without a customer message, non-template is blocked even if FEP is still active. Send a template; that template is free to send while FEP remains active.

Info : FEP provides billing-free messaging for 72h; the 24h Service timer still controls non-template permissions.

What you can send & what it costs (scenarios)

Timing vs customer’s last message	FEP active?	Non-template allowed?	Template allowed?	Billed?	Notes
≤ 24h	Irrelevant	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	Service free; templates billed by category	Fast replies keep Service open
> 24h & < 72h	Yes (FEP)	❌ No	✅ Yes	Free (FEP waives billing)	Use a template; non-template blocked
> 24h & < 72h	No	❌ No	✅ Yes	Paid (by template category)	FEP inactive; category billing applies
≥ 72h	N/A	❌ No	✅ Yes	Paid (by template category)	Send a template or wait for a new customer message

UI Screenshot — Non-template blocked outside 24h

Caption: After 24h, non-template is blocked. Send a template; it’s free if FEP is still active.

Diagram — 24h Service inside a 72h Free-Entry window

Caption: Service controls message type; FEP controls billing.

How to verify in your UI

A) Meta WhatsApp Inbox (example UI)

Open Inbox → select the conversation.
Confirm Customer Service Window: Active/Closed with a hh:mm countdown.
If the chat began from an ad/Page CTA, look for Free Entry Point — Active with a 2d:hh countdown.

B) Your provider’s dashboard (typical)

Open ticket/conversation details.
Check service_window.status/expires_at and any free_entry.active/expires_at flags.
If you attempt non-template while Service is closed, the composer shows a warning and a Template shortcut.

API / logs (copy-paste samples)

Info : Field names vary by provider. Use these shapes for monitoring and alerts.

1) Inbound opens/extends Service (free)

{
  "event": "message_received",
  "customer": { "wa_id": "+15551234567" },
  "service_window": { "open": true, "expires_at": "2025-12-01T10:00:00Z" },
  "conversation": { "category": "SERVICE", "opened": true },
  "pricing": { "billable": false }
}

2) >24h & <72h (Service closed, FEP active → template allowed free)

{
  "event": "message_send_attempt",
  "type": "non_template",
  "service_window": { "open": false },
  "error": { "code": "NON_TEMPLATE_NOT_ALLOWED" },
  "free_entry": { "active": true }
}

3) ≥72h (FEP expired) → template opens a paid category window

{
  "event": "template_delivered",
  "template": { "name": "promo_launch", "category": "MARKETING" },
  "free_entry": { "active": false },
  "conversation": {
    "category": "MARKETING",
    "opened": true,
    "expires_at": "2025-12-01T14:00:00Z"
  },
  "pricing": { "billable": true }
}

4) Cloud API — send a template (copy/paste)

{
  "messaging_product": "whatsapp",
  "to": "+15551234567",
  "type": "template",
  "template": {
    "name": "follow_up_request",
    "language": { "code": "en" },
    "components": [
      {
        "type": "body",
        "parameters": [
          { "type": "text", "text": "Hi Alex, please reply here if you need more help." }
        ]
      }
    ]
  }
}

Edge cases & limitations

Opt-out/Blocked users: Respect user preferences; sends may be blocked regardless of windows.
Delivery failure: If inbound or template fails delivery, the relevant conversation/window does not open or reset.
Multiple categories: Category windows can overlap. Same-category sends within 24h reuse the window (no new charge).
Provider variance: Labels/timers differ; rely on status and expires_at fields.
Time zones: Timers use message timestamps, not the agent’s local time.

Expected outcomes

A customer message opens/resets a Service window for 24h → non-template allowed at no charge.
After 24h without a customer message, non-template is blocked.
If FEP is active, templates are billing-free inside 72h; otherwise templates open a paid category window.

Support & escalation

If behavior differs from this FAQ or sends/billing look incorrect, open a Support ticket from your admin portal (attach message IDs, timestamps, pricing logs, and screenshots), or contact your Customer Success Manager. Typical response time: 1 business day.

Updated on: 21/09/2025