# Normal WhatsApp vs WhatsApp Cloud

Table Comparison:

<table><thead><tr><th width="163">Feature</th><th>Normal WhatsApp</th><th width="293">WhatsApp Cloud</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>Recognition</strong></td><td>Common</td><td>Green Tick ✅</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Interactive Chat Buttons</strong></td><td>No❌</td><td>Yes✅</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Cost per</strong> <a href="./#conversation-based-pricing"><strong>conversation</strong></a></td><td>Free of charge</td><td>Marketing - $0.086<br>Utility - $0.02<br>Authentication - $0.018<br>Service - $0.022</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Banned</strong></td><td>Sending more than 300 messages a day is considered spam and can result in a ban</td><td>Less likely to be banned and can send messages to up to 10,000 contacts at once.</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Account Security</strong></td><td>Accounts that violate official WhatsApp policies may be permanently blocked.</td><td>Accounts will be blocked in extreme cases. Most of the time, it will simply reduce the account’s quality rating and the number of messages sent per day.</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Application Procedures</strong></td><td>All types of merchants can register to use</td><td>Only accept legal institutions.</td></tr></tbody></table>

{% hint style="info" %}
In the product, these appear as the two provider options when you add a WhatsApp inbox: **WhatsApp Business** (the QR-scan option — "Normal WhatsApp" in this comparison) and **WhatsApp Cloud** (the official API). Ready to set up? See [Connecting a WhatsApp Inbox](/mampu-ai/settings/connecting-a-whatsapp-inbox) for the step-by-step guide to both.
{% endhint %}

{% hint style="warning" %}
Conversation rates are set by Meta and change over time — check Meta's WhatsApp pricing page for the current rates in your currency.
{% endhint %}

## Conversation-Based Pricing <a href="#conversation-based-pricing" id="conversation-based-pricing"></a>

Charges are applied per conversation, not per individual message sent or received.

Conversations are 24-hour message threads between you and your customers. They are opened and charged when messages you send to customers are delivered. The criteria that determines when a conversation is opened and how it is categorized is explained below.

## WhatsApp Business Conversation Categories

1. **Marketing**
   * Enables you to achieve a wide range of goals, from generating awareness to driving sales and retargeting customers. Examples include new product, service, or feature announcements, targeted promotions/offers, and cart abandonment reminders.
2. **Utility**
   * Enables you to follow-up on user actions or requests. Examples include opt-in confirmation, order/delivery management (e.g., delivery update); account updates or alerts (for example., payment reminder); or feedback surveys.
3. **Authentication**
   * Enables you authenticate users with one-time passcodes, potentially at multiple steps in the login process (e.g., account verification, account recovery, integrity challenges).
4. **Service**
   * Enables you to resolve customer inquiries.

## Opening Conversations <a href="#opening-conversations" id="opening-conversations"></a>

Conversations are opened when you send a template message or free-form message under the following conditions.

#### Marketing, Utility, and Authentication Conversations <a href="#marketing--utility--and-authentication-conversations" id="marketing--utility--and-authentication-conversations"></a>

When you send an approved marketing, utility, or authentication template to a customer, we check if an open conversation matching the template's category already exists between you and the customer. If one exists, no new conversation is opened. If one does not exist, a new **conversation of that category** is opened, <mark style="background-color:orange;">lasting 24 hours</mark>.

For example:

* **Hour 0:** You send a targeted promotion (**marketing template** message) to a customer. Open marketing conversation <mark style="background-color:orange;">not exists</mark> between you and the customer, so a **marketing conversation** lasting 24 hours <mark style="background-color:orange;">is opened</mark>.
* **Hour 4:** The customer completes an order on your site, so you send them an order confirmation (**utility template** message). Open utility conversation <mark style="background-color:orange;">not exists</mark> between you and the customer, so a **utility conversation** lasting 24 hours <mark style="background-color:orange;">is opened</mark>.
* **Hour 10:** You send a shipment confirmation (**utility template** message) to the customer. An open **utility conversation** <mark style="background-color:orange;">already exists</mark> between you and the customer, so a <mark style="background-color:orange;">new</mark> **utility conversation** <mark style="background-color:orange;">is not opened.</mark>

#### Service Conversations <a href="#service-conversations" id="service-conversations"></a>

A service conversation is opened when a free-form message is delivered to your customer and no open conversation of **any category** exists between you and the customer.

A [customer service window](./#customer-service-windows) must exist between you and the customer in order to send a free-form message.

For example:

Case 1:&#x20;

* **Hour 0:** You send a targeted promotion (marketing template) to a customer. No open marketing conversation exists between you and the customer, so a <mark style="background-color:orange;">marketing conversation</mark> lasting 24 hours is <mark style="background-color:orange;">opened</mark>.
* **Hour 4:** <mark style="background-color:orange;">The customer messages you</mark>. This <mark style="background-color:orange;">opens a customer service window</mark> between you and the customer, allowing you to send them free-form messages for the next <mark style="background-color:orange;">24 hours</mark>.
* **Hour 5:** You send a free-form message to the customer. An <mark style="background-color:orange;">open conversation (marketing) already exists</mark> between you and the customer, so a <mark style="background-color:orange;">service conversation is not opened</mark>.
* **Hour 24:** The marketing conversation expires.

Case 2:&#x20;

* **Hour 0:** You send a free-form message to the customer. <mark style="background-color:orange;">No open conversation exists</mark> between you and the customer, so a <mark style="background-color:orange;">service conversation is opened</mark>, lasting 24 hours.
* **Hour 10:** The 24-hour customer service window is still open, so you send a second free-form message to the customer. An open <mark style="background-color:orange;">service conversation already exists</mark> between you and the customer, so a <mark style="background-color:orange;">new</mark> service <mark style="background-color:orange;">conversation is not opened</mark>.

### Customer Service Windows <a href="#customer-service-windows" id="customer-service-windows"></a>

When a WhatsApp user messages you, a 24-hour timer called a customer service window starts (or refreshes).

All types of message, except for template messages, can only be sent to a user when a customer service window is open between you and the user.

## **Conclusion**

* What kind of conversation will be opened is based on the messages you send. For example, marketing conversation is opened when **marketing template** message is send.
* You will be charged when a conversation is opened. However, for the next 24 hours, the messages you send won't incur any additional charges.
* All kind of conversations lasting for 24 hours.&#x20;
* **Service conversation** can only be opened when no other open conversation (Marketing, Utility and Authentication) but a [customer service window](./#customer-service-windows) exist between you and the customer.

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Source: https://help.mampuai.com/mampu-ai/platform/connect-to-social-media-channels/normal-whatsapp-vs-whatsapp-cloud