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WhatsApp Session

WhatsApp Session messages are any messages sent and received within a window of 24 hours. WhatsApp sessions are measured in fixed 24-hour sessions. A WhatsApp session starts when the first business message (template) in a conversation is delivered, either initiated by the business or in reply to a user message. Each 24-hour WhatsApp session results in a single charge. Businesses and users can exchange any number of messages within a 24-hour conversation session without incurring additional charges. WhatsApp conversations fall into two categories that are priced differently:

  • User-initiated
  • Business-initiated

Business-initiated
A business-initiated session is when the business sends a pre-approved WhatsApp template message to a customer. The business-initiated conversations are chargeable right from the moment the business sends a pre-approved template message to users outside the 24-hour session window or initiates messaging with the user.

The session window won’t start immediately until the customer replies to you. After receiving the first message from your customer, the session will be initiated. Within the 24 hours window, you can send any message to the customer for free and your message can be in the form of text, links, media, and so on, without any restrictions. The 24 hours session will be extended when your customer replies to you.

Case 1:

  • GENIQ sent a message template to Jane. This starts a business-initiated conversation.
  • The session does not start yet due to Jane not replying. GENIQ can only continue to contact Jane through template messages, and cannot send any freeform text or media messages.

Case 2:

  • GENIQ sent a message template to Jane. This starts a business-initiated conversation.
  • Jane replied to GENIQ
  • The session started on 2022-01-01 11:30:00. GENIQ can send any free-form messages to Jane within the 24-hour window for free. The session will be ended at 2022-01-02 11:30:00
    • Session is valid from 2022-01-01 11:30:00 to 2022-01-02 11:30:00

Case 3:

  • GENIQ sent a message template to Jane. This starts a business-initiated conversation.
  • Jane replied to GENIQ after 2 days
  • The session started on 2022-01-03 11:30:00. GENIQ can send any free-form messages to Jane within the 24-hour window for free. The session will be ended at 2022-01-04 11:30:00
    • Session is valid from 2022-01-03 11:30:00 to 2022-01-04 11:30:00

Case 4:

  • GENIQ sent a message template to Jane. This starts a business-initiated conversation.
  • Jane replied to GENIQ after 2 days
  • The session started on 2022-01-03 09:33:00. GENIQ can send any free-form messages to Jane within the 24-hour window for free. The session will be ended at 2022-01-04 09:33:00
    • Session is valid from 2022-01-03 09:33:00 to 2022-01-04 09:33:00
  • GENIQ needs to send another free-from message to Jane on 2022-01-04 13:36:00 but is unable due to the session expiring on 2022-01-04 09:33:00. Thus, GENIQ can only send a message template to Jane on 2022-01-04 13:36:00. This starts another business-initiated conversation.
    • The session remains closed until Jane replies to the GENIQ.

Case 5:

  • Jane sent a message to GENIQ. This starts a user-initiated conversation.
  • The session started on 2022-01-01 11:30:00. GENIQ is allowed to reply to Jane within the 24-hour window for free. The session will be ended at 2022-01-02 11:30:00
    • Session is valid from 2022-01-01 11:42:00 to 2022-01-02 11:42:00
  • GENIQ needs to send another free-form message to Jane on 2022-01-02 13:40:00 but the session is expired. Thus, GENIQ can only send a message template to Jane on 2022-01-02 13:40:00. This starts another business-initiated conversation.
    • The session remains closed until Jane replies to the GENIQ.
    • The session first is user-initiated, however, GENIQ sent another message template after the session ended, thus, it lead to another business-initiated session.

User-initiated
When a user has your business number and messages you on your chat service, then it starts a user-initiated session. User-initiated conversations are chargeable only when a Business responds to a user message and at the same time, the 24-hour session window will begin to count.

Whenever a business replies to the customer within the 24-hour window, that message will be associated with a user-initiated conversation. Businesses can send free-form messages within this 24-hour window. The session will last for 24 hours from the most recently received message. Outside of the 24-hour window, you may only send messages via approved Message Templates. If your customers reply to the template, the session is restarted and the expiry time would be increased.

Case 1:

  • Jane send a message to GENIQ. This starts a user-initiated conversation.
  • Session is valid from 2022-01-01 11:42:00 to 2022-01-02 11:42:00

Case 2:

  • Jane send a message to GENIQ. This starts a business-initiated conversation.
    • Session is valid from 2022-01-01 09:36:00 to 2022-01-02 09:36:00
  • Jane send another message to GENIQ on the following day
    • Session is renewed and the session is valid from 2022-01-02 18:56:00 to 2022-01-03 18:56:00
  • GENIQ send a free-form message to Jane on the following day, 2022-01-03 08:01:00. Since the session is still valid on 2022-01-03 08:01:00, thus, no extra fee will be charged