> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.ciarem.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# WhatsApp costs and the 24-hour window

> When WhatsApp messaging is free, when Meta charges, and where message templates come in.

WhatsApp's pricing rules are Meta's, not Ciarem's, but they shape when your agent can message someone and what it costs. Here is the short version.

## The 24-hour window

When a customer messages you, a 24-hour window opens. Inside that window, you and your agent can reply freely, and every new customer message resets the clock. Most of your agent's work (answering questions, following up an active conversation) happens inside this window.

## Outside the window: templates

Once 24 hours pass with no customer message, reaching out requires a **message template**: a pre-approved message format reviewed by Meta. Templates are how re-engagement and proactive follow-up work on WhatsApp, and Meta charges for them by category (marketing, utility, authentication) at rates that vary by country.

Ciarem uses approved templates when reaching someone outside the window (for example when sending a template to a contact or list), and those Meta charges are drawn from your WhatsApp wallet at Meta's cost, with no markup.

## What this means in practice

* Replies inside an active conversation: no Meta charge
* A follow-up the day after a customer went quiet: template, Meta charge applies
* Instagram DMs and Messenger chats: no Meta charges at all

## Passthrough, not markup

Ciarem does not profit on WhatsApp fees. Meta's charges pass through at cost, drawn from the prepaid **WhatsApp wallet** in Settings, where you can see the current cycle's spend by category and every transaction. Your plan's message allowance and overage are Ciarem platform fees and are independent of Meta's rates. See [Plans and billing](/billing/plans-and-billing) for how the full bill is built.

Because Meta's rates change by country and category, treat the exact per-message cost as Meta's number, not ours. The wallet shows actual consumption so you see real costs rather than estimates.