WhatsApp Pricing, Billing, and Rebilling in Sparkforge

WhatsApp in Sparkforge uses per-message billing instead of a flat 24-hour conversation fee. You pay for each delivered message, with the rate set by message category and destination country.

How charges work

Every message falls into one of four categories. Each has its own pricing logic and rules for when it can be sent.

• Marketing — outbound promos, offers, re-engagement. Charged per delivered message regardless of customer service window status.
• Utility — transactional messages tied to a specific user action (order confirmations, shipping updates, appointment reminders). Charged outside an active customer service window. Free inside one.
• Authentication — one-time passcodes and verification. Charged per delivered template message.
• Service — replies to customer inquiries. Always free.

Initiation rules: Marketing, Utility, and Authentication conversations can only be opened with template messages. Service conversations can only be opened with free-form (non-template) messages.

Subscription

$10/month per WhatsApp-enabled sub-account, billed to the agency. This is separate from per-message charges.

Customer service window

The customer service window is a 24-hour timer that starts when a customer messages you and resets with each new customer message. While it's open, you can reply with free-form messages or utility templates at no charge.

Example billing

• Send 1 marketing template + 1 utility template (outside CSW): two charges, one per category.
• Send a free-form reply during an open CSW: free.
• Send a utility template during an open CSW: free.

Free Entry Point conversations

When a customer messages you via a Click to WhatsApp ad or Facebook Page CTA, and you respond within 24 hours, a 72-hour Free Entry Point window opens. All message types are free during that window. Free Entry Point conversations close any other open conversations when they start.

Example

Customer messages from a Click to WhatsApp ad at 10am. You reply at 10pm. The Free Entry Point conversation starts at 10pm and lasts 72 hours.

Billing matrix

WhatsApp calling

Per-minute billing on business-initiated calls. Inbound (user-initiated) calls are free everywhere Cloud API is supported.

• Calls billed in six-second pulses, rounded up. A 56-second call = 9.33 pulses, billed as 10.
• Rate depends on destination country code.

Sample per-minute rates (USD)

Business-initiated calling not available if your business phone number is registered in: United States, Canada, Egypt, Vietnam, Nigeria. Customers can be located anywhere WhatsApp is supported.

Rebilling for agencies

Agencies pay base rates and apply a multiplier to set client pricing.

• Base rate (Marketing, US): $0.0263.
• Multiplier 1.5x: client pays $0.0395 per message.
• Default multiplier: 1.05x to cover the 5% Stripe processing fee.

How client subscriptions work

When a client buys WhatsApp from you, two subscriptions get created:

1. Client's card → your Stripe account (their payment to you).
2. Sparkforge → your Stripe account (the $10/month/location fee you owe Sparkforge).

Setup steps

1. Open Settings > Billing in Sparkforge.
2. Locate the WhatsApp billing option.
3. Add payment details.
4. Choose a subscription plan.
5. Configure rebilling and your multiplier.
6. Review the setup before going live.