What Conversation Category means
A category is the classification Meta applies to a message, and it determines the rate. The categories mirror template categories plus a service type: Marketing, Utility, Authentication and Service.
Business-initiated messages take the category of the template used — Marketing (charged on every delivered marketing template, with no volume discount), Utility (charged per delivered message, including — since 1 October 2026 — utility templates sent inside an open 24-hour customer service window, which were free until 30 September 2026) or Authentication (charged per delivered message). Service messages are free-form replies a business sends inside the window after a customer starts the thread; they need no template, and Meta has charged for them per message since 1 October 2026 (they were free until 30 September 2026). Rates differ by category and by country, and Meta periodically updates its pricing model.
Because category drives cost, planning your template mix has a direct effect on spend. InfiQ shows the live rate card in the dashboard and provides cost calculators so you can model different mixes before you send.
