WhatsApp has become the go-to channel for businesses to engage with customers in real-time. But having a WhatsApp Business account is no longer enough to manage customer queries proactively. That’s where the need for the WhatsApp Business API comes into play.
In this post, we’re going to break down the WhatsApp Business API pricing worth, evaluate WhatsApp Business API ROI, and discuss whether it is suitable for your business.
Understanding WhatsApp Business API Pricing
The WhatsApp Business API pricing model is based on message templates, session messages and the volume of messages sent.
While the WhatsApp Business App is free, the pricing of the API can depend based on the following:
1. Per-message pricing
Meta charges based on the type of conversations happening on WhatsApp. These are categorized into two types:
– User-initiated conversations – These are messages triggered by customers who reach out to businesses to seek support or assistance.
– Business-initiated conversations – This is when the business proactively sends messages to customers who have subscribed to receive promotions/ updates.
2. Region-specific rules
The WhatsApp Business API pricing also varies based on the region where the account is located.
3. WhatsApp Business API provider fees
Meta does not offer the API directly to automate conversations on WhatsApp. This requires businesses to work with BSPs like Interakt, that charge for services like hosting, integration, automation workflows and more.
ROI from WhatsApp Business API
The ROI you derive from investing in a WhatsApp Business API solution varies based on what you implement it for. Businesses today actively use WhatsApp for advertising, marketing, sales and customer support.
Considering its diverse use cases, the WhatsApp Business API ROI is measured in:
Improved customer engagement – The ability to proactively respond to customer queries and provide personalized responses.
Automated workflows – The amount of time and resources saved by automating common queries and support tickets.
Increased sales – The number of sales a business is able to drive from WhatsApp by running promotions or providing shopping assistance.
The reason why the ROI from WhatsApp is directly compared to that of email is owing to the intuitive customer engagement and the ability to personalize conversations on an individual basis.
Real-life examples: ROI from WhatsApp API
Get WhatsApp Business API by setting up automation to achieve a higher ROI:
1. Increase in sales and revenue - The Design Cart
An online supplier of beads, embroidery threads, buttons, sequins, fabric and other material, The Design Cart actively uses WhatsApp for promoting their catalog. With customer support automations and checkout links, they offer proactive assistance to buyers, guiding them towards completing the purchase. This has helped the brand drive 20% of its business revenue from WhatsApp.
2. Streamlined support for enterprise - Hero Electric
One of the oldest players in the electric scooter segment, Hero Electric wanted to reduce their dependency on dealers and take charge of assisting buyers to drive sales. By setting up a WhatsApp chatbot, they automated the process of answering FAQs, recommending products, providing product comparisons and booking test rides. This helped them reduce wait times on queries, leading to a 30% user-to-lead conversion ratio.
Is WhatsApp Business API Worth the Investment in 2025?
With consumers choosing to buy from businesses that they can proactively engage with, WhatsApp is a valuable tool for 2025. Here’s why it will continue to gain popularity:
• Growing customer expectations – Consumers demand instant and personalized communication on a channel of their preference. With the increasing use of WhatsApp across demographics, the channel meets these expectations.
• Innovative features – From WhatsApp business profiles, product catalogs, payment integrations, automations and more, Meta has been continually adding new features to enable businesses to grow on WhatsApp.
• Scalable – Owing to its flexible use cases and pricing, WhatsApp is suited for businesses of all sizes. This makes the channel versatile and more commonly adopted across industries to engage with customers.
• Competitive advantage – With proven higher open and click through rates on messages, businesses are able to drive higher engagement on campaigns. As compared to other traditional channels, WhatsApp gives businesses a competitive edge to cut through the noise.
Conclusion
The WhatsApp Business API platform offers immense potential for businesses.
But the ROI you get from the channel entirely depends on how strategically you use all the features available.
The only way to tap into powerful and advanced automations is to make use of the WhatsApp Business API using solutions like Interakt.
