WhatsApp Service Message: What It Is and When It's Free

01 · Glossary

What counts as a service message

The rule is who started it and when.

• A customer's first message opens a service conversation
• All replies inside the 24-hour window are service messages
• The window resets with each new customer message
• No template approval needed inside the window

02 · Glossary

The boundary of free

The service window is the cheapest part of WhatsApp — until it is not.

• Inside the window: free-form replies, free
• After 24 hours: a business-initiated message needs a template and bills by category
• A template sent inside an open window re-bills the conversation by the template's category
• Service notifications tied to an active session stay free

03 · Glossary

Why service messages matter commercially

The service window is where purchases happen and where costs disappear.

• Answering promptly keeps the conversation free
• The chat itself is the sales conversation — product questions, pricing, closing
• Moving the conversation to WhatsApp via Click to WhatsApp and QR codes opens the free window
• After-hours handling keeps customers answered without reopening billing

04 · Glossary

How Wutt treats service conversations

Wutt routes every inbound message into the shared WhatsApp and Telegram inbox, tracks the 24-hour window, and schedules after-hours replies so the conversation stays served — and stays free. Zero markup on the fees that do apply.

• Inbound routed into the shared WhatsApp and Telegram inbox
• 24-hour window tracked per conversation
• After-hours replies keep the window served

Last updated 5 August 2026