Glossary
What are service messages in WhatsApp? Meaning, examples and cost
Free-form replies inside the customer service window, the monthly allowance of 1,000 free service messages per phone number from 1 Oct 2026, and how to plan support volume.
By Broadchat teamPublished Updated 3 min read
Definition
Service message: Service messages in WhatsApp are the non-template messages a business sends while a customer's 24-hour customer service window is open, such as a typed reply, an image, a document, buttons or a list. From 1 Oct 2026, Meta gives each business phone number 1,000 free service messages per month; after that, every delivered service message is charged. The allowance does not roll over to the next month.
Also called: Free-form reply, Session message, Service conversation (older pricing)
How a WhatsApp service message works
When a customer writes to you, or calls you, a customer service window opens for 24 hours. Inside it you can answer with ordinary messages: text, photos, PDFs, voice notes, interactive messages with buttons or lists. These replies are service messages. You do not need a template and Meta does not review them in advance.
Templates sent inside the window are not service messages. A marketing, utility or authentication template is billed in its own category even if the customer wrote a minute ago.
The 1,000 free messages from 1 Oct 2026
Before October 2026 service replies were free without limit. That changed on 1 Oct 2026:
- Each business phone number gets 1,000 free service messages per month.
- From message 1,001 in that month, every delivered service message is charged at Meta's service rate for the customer's country.
- Unused free messages do not carry over.
- Reactions (an emoji on a customer's message) stay free and do not count toward the 1,000.
- If the WhatsApp Business account has no payment method, service messages stop being delivered after the free 1,000.
- Eligible government and non-profit accounts keep free service messages beyond 1,000 until 31 Dec 2027.
Rates are on our WhatsApp API pricing page. Any article that says "replies within 24 hours are free" was written before this change.
Worked example
Rangoli Home answers about 60 customer chats a day on one number, with an average of 3 replies each. That is roughly 180 service messages a day, so the free 1,000 runs out in about the first week of the month (illustrative numbers). From then on each reply is billed. Meera, the owner, makes three changes: one complete answer instead of three short ones, a reaction instead of "ok 👍" where that is enough, and a chatbot that answers the five most common questions in one message.
Service messages in Broadchat
Replies from CRM → Live Chat are service messages while the window is open. The inbox shows whether each chat's window is open or expired, and you can filter by it; outside the window, free-form sending is blocked and you pick a template instead. Keep the channel wallet topped up under Workspace → Wallet & Transactions so replies keep flowing after the free allowance; the wallet recharge help explains how. For how the API differs from the app, read WhatsApp Business app vs API.
Related terms
Sources
- Pricing on the WhatsApp Business Platform — Meta for Developers, checked 12 October 2026
- WhatsApp Business Platform changelog — Meta for Developers, checked 12 October 2026
Broadchat team · Product and partner success team
The people who build and support Broadchat, the white-label WhatsApp Business API platform. We write from what we see while onboarding partners and their clients on the official WhatsApp Cloud API, and we check every article against Meta's current documentation.
Last updated:
Frequently asked questions
Are WhatsApp service replies still free?
Only the first 1,000 service messages per business phone number each month, from 1 Oct 2026. After that every delivered service message is charged at Meta's service rate for the customer's country. Reactions remain free.
Is the 1,000 per business or per phone number?
Per business phone number, per month. A business with three numbers gets 1,000 free service messages on each number, and unused messages do not roll over.
Do service messages in a Click-to-WhatsApp ad chat count?
When a customer arrives through a Click-to-WhatsApp ad and you reply within 24 hours, messages in that free entry point window are free for up to 7 days, apart from Meta Business Agent messages.