WhatsApp’s new pricing policy for business messaging, effective from Thursday, is likely to trigger a sharp increase in marketing costs for millions of small and medium enterprises that rely on the popular communication platform, according to a number of business owners who spoke to ET.
Several are now scouting for
alternative avenues to connect with customers directly, as the Meta-owned
company presses ahead with furthering “monetisation” of WhatsApp for Business.
The new rates will require businesses to pay
different prices based on the nature of communication. They will now be charged
Rs 0.3082 for every utility message, while marketing messages will cost Rs
0.7265. Previously, WhatsApp charged a flat Rs 0.48 per conversation. The
pricing for authentication messages will be announced later, the company said
on its website.
“The price increase certainly impacts us. We are
internally seeing how we can minimise conversations and make them more
effective," said Pallavi Utagi, founder and chief executive of
SuperBottoms that sells ecofriendly and reusable cloth diapers.
Meta chief Mark Zuckerberg has previously
pointed to business messaging as being a “major monetisation opportunity.”
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