Click to WhatsApp ads:The reply that opens a free 7 day window.
Meta says a timely reply to an ad chat opens a free messaging window of up to 7 days on the WhatsApp API. Here is how it works and how to use it kindly.
By Madhur Tyagi
· 9 min read · Facts checked 6 Nov 2026
Quick answer
What is the free entry point window for Click to WhatsApp ads? Meta says that when a person messages you from a Click to WhatsApp ad on the Android or iOS app and you reply inside the customer service window, that reply is not charged and opens a Free Entry Point window that may stay open up to 7 days. While it is open, marketing, utility, authentication and service messages are not charged on the WhatsApp Business Platform. Meta Business Agent messages are still charged.
In short, for busy readers and AI answers
- What is it?
- A free window opened by your reply to an ad chat (Meta pricing page, 30 Sep 2026).
- How long?
- Up to 7 days from your reply.
- What is free in it?
- Marketing, utility, authentication and service messages.
- What still costs?
- Meta Business Agent messages.
- Who is it for?
- Businesses using the WhatsApp Business Platform with ads that click to WhatsApp.
Key takeaways
- A person who taps a Click to WhatsApp ad opens a customer service window with you.
- Meta says your timely reply is not charged and opens a window of up to 7 days.
- Inside it Meta does not charge for marketing, utility, authentication or service messages.
- Meta Business Agent messages are still charged in the window.
- The window is tracked per business and customer pair and shared across accounts on the same number.
- Use The Seven Day Reply Clock: Reply, Use, Close.
Written by Madhur Tyagi, founder of The Human Algorithm. 8+ years, 25+ brands, since 2017.
Scope note: This is about the WhatsApp Business Platform (API) and ads that click to WhatsApp, on Android or iOS. We have not tested billing on a live account.
Picture Karan, who runs ads for a coffee brand. Every day 40 people tap “Send message” on his ad.
Some get an answer in two minutes. Others get one the next morning. On the API, those two groups are treated differently by Meta’s pricing.
Meta’s pricing page, updated 30 September 2026, describes a Free Entry Point window. A timely reply to an ad chat opens it, and it can stay open up to 7 days with no charge for marketing, utility, authentication or service messages.
So the speed of your opening reply is not just good manners. It is also a pricing lever. Here is how it works and how to use it.
What Meta says about the free window
Meta’s pricing page describes a Free Entry Point window, or FEP. It is for chats that start from an ad that clicks to WhatsApp.
| Step | What Meta says |
|---|---|
| 1. A person taps your ad | The person messages you from a Click to WhatsApp ad on the Android or iOS app. Desktop and web are not supported |
| 2. A service window opens | A normal 24 hour customer service window opens |
| 3. You reply in time | Your reply with a marketing, utility, authentication or service message is not charged |
| 4. The FEP window opens | It starts from the time you replied and may stay open up to 7 days |
| 5. While it is open | Meta does not charge for marketing, utility, authentication or service messages. Meta Business Agent messages are still charged |
This is about the WhatsApp Business Platform, the API. Meta says the window is tracked for the business and customer pair, and all Messaging accounts on the same phone number share it.
Reality check
“Ad chats are the same as any other chat.”
On the API, Meta treats them differently. A timely reply opens a free window of up to 7 days, so a slow reply can cost you more than the customer.
The Seven Day Reply Clock
One habit with three steps. Reply fast, use the window well, close the loop.
Save this framework
The Seven Day Reply Clock: Reply, Use, Close
Reply fast · use the days · close kindly
Save it, or send it to a founder friend
Send on WhatsApp
Tool: is your ad reply desk ready?
Tap what is true. Two minutes, nothing leaves your phone.
Tool · two minute check
Is your ad reply desk ready for the free window?
Tap what is true for your Click to WhatsApp ads today.
Our own planning check. Billing rules are Meta’s, see the sources.
5 opening replies for ad chats
Free kit: 5 ad chat replies
1 · The answer up front
Hi [name]! Yes, [product] comes in [options]. Price ₹[price]. Want me to send photos of the [option] one?
2 · The catalog card
Here is the range we run in the ad: [link]. Tell me your [size, budget or goal] and I will pick the right one for you.
3 · The delivery line
We deliver to [city] in [x] days. Shipping ₹[y], free above ₹[z]. Shall I check your pincode?
4 · The order confirm
Thanks, [name]! Order confirmed: [item] x [qty], ₹[total]. Dispatch by [date]. I will send tracking here.
5 · The kind nudge
Hi [name], still thinking about the [product]? No pressure. If you have a question, send it here and I will answer myself.
Line 5 is the one nudge. One kind message is enough.
Questions owners ask about the free window
How long is the free entry point window?
Meta says it may remain open up to 7 days from the time you responded to the ad chat.
What do I have to do to open it?
Meta says to respond inside the customer service window with a marketing, utility, authentication or service message. That message is not charged and opens the FEP window.
Does it work on desktop and web?
Meta says it applies when the user messages via the Android or iOS app, since desktop and web apps are not supported.
What is charged inside the window?
Meta says Meta Business Agent messages are still charged. Marketing, utility, authentication and service messages are not.
Who gets the free window if several accounts send?
Meta says the window is tracked for the business and customer pair, so all Messaging accounts on the same phone number share it.
Does it apply to the free WhatsApp Business app?
The page we read is about the Business Platform. It does not describe the free app.
Will it cut my ad cost?
It affects message charges, not ad spend. Check your own billing before you plan.
Reply while the customer is still curious. Meta’s pricing rewards it and so do buyers.
About this guide: sources, all checked 6 Nov 2026. Meta for Developers, “Pricing on the WhatsApp Business Platform”, updated 30 Sep 2026 (free entry point window, up to 7 days, what is charged, shared across accounts). The Seven Day Reply Clock, desk check and replies are ours. We have not tested billing on a live account. Madhur Tyagi is the founder of The Human Algorithm., a growth and automation practice in New Delhi that helps Indian founders, coaches and creators reply faster, follow up kindly and earn trust in their DMs and WhatsApp. 8+ years, 25+ brands, since 2017.
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