Meta’s AI agent for WhatsApp Business is now available globally - TechCrunch

Starting Oct. 1, businesses will be charged for every WhatsApp message sent by a human agent or chatbot; the fee is about 2 agorot per message, while a monthly allowance of 1,000 free messages will shield most small businessesThe era of free WhatsApp messaging for large businesses and organizations is coming to an end. Most businesses and organizations worldwide that operate customer service centers now use WhatsApp’s business API, which in many cases reduces the need for human service representatives. Until now, Meta charged businesses when a customer service interaction was opened but allowed follow-up messages to continue free for the next 24 hours. Starting Thursday, Oct. 1, it will begin charging for every message sent, “from the very first one.”WhatsApp (Photo: Shutterstock)The rate set for a single “service message” is about $0.0056 per message, or roughly 2 agorot. However, because Meta gives businesses 1,000 free service messages each month, charges will apply only from the 1,001st message onward. That means most small businesses, which receive relatively few inquiries, are not expected to be affected.

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