Billing & Credits

Understand the credit system, manage your subscription, and track messaging costs

8 min read

Waflow uses a credit-based system for WhatsApp messaging. This guide explains how credits work, how to purchase them, and how to manage your billing effectively.

Understanding the Credit System#

Credits are the currency used in Waflow for sending WhatsApp messages. Each message type consumes a specific number of credits based on the conversation category and recipient location.

How Credits Work#

When you send a message through Waflow:

  1. Credits are deducted from your balance
  2. The amount depends on message type and destination
  3. Failed messages do not consume credits
  4. Credits are restored if delivery fails

Message Categories#

WhatsApp classifies conversations into four categories, each with different credit costs:

Category Description Credit Cost
Marketing Promotional messages, offers, announcements Highest
Utility Transactional updates, order confirmations Medium
Authentication OTPs, verification codes Low
Service Customer-initiated conversations Lowest

Note WhatsApp determines the conversation category based on your message template. Choosing the right category can significantly reduce costs.

Conversation-Based Pricing#

WhatsApp uses conversation-based pricing:

  • A conversation is a 24-hour window
  • All messages within that window count as one conversation
  • You pay per conversation, not per message
  • Different entry points have different costs

Conversation Entry Points:

Entry Point Description Window
Business-initiated You send first message 24 hours
User-initiated Customer messages first 24 hours
Free entry points Ads, QR codes 72 hours free

Pricing Structure#

Credit Costs by Region#

Costs vary by recipient location:

Region Marketing Utility Authentication Service
India 1.0 credits 0.5 credits 0.3 credits 0.3 credits
United States 2.5 credits 1.0 credits 0.8 credits 0.5 credits
United Kingdom 2.0 credits 0.9 credits 0.7 credits 0.5 credits
Brazil 1.5 credits 0.6 credits 0.4 credits 0.4 credits
Other regions Varies Varies Varies Varies

Tip Check the full pricing table in your dashboard under Settings > Billing > Pricing for accurate costs by country.

Credit Packages#

Purchase credits in packages:

Package Credits Price Per Credit
Starter 1,000 $25 $0.025
Growth 5,000 $100 $0.020
Business 25,000 $400 $0.016
Enterprise 100,000 $1,200 $0.012

Volume Discounts:

  • 5,000+ credits: 20% discount
  • 25,000+ credits: 36% discount
  • 100,000+ credits: 52% discount

Usage Tracking#

Monitor your credit consumption in real-time.

Dashboard Overview#

The billing dashboard shows:

  • Current credit balance
  • Credits used this period
  • Remaining credits
  • Usage trend chart

Usage Breakdown#

View detailed usage:

  1. Navigate to Settings > Billing > Usage
  2. Filter by:
    • Date range
    • Campaign
    • Message category
    • Region
  3. View consumption patterns

Usage by Campaign#

Track credits per campaign:

Campaign Messages Credits Used Avg per Message
Summer Sale 5,000 5,000 1.0
Order Confirmations 12,000 6,000 0.5
Welcome Series 3,000 3,000 1.0

Alerts and Notifications#

Set up usage alerts:

  1. Go to Settings > Billing > Alerts
  2. Configure thresholds:
    • Low balance warning (e.g., 1,000 credits remaining)
    • Daily limit exceeded
    • Unusual spending patterns
  3. Choose notification method (email, in-app, SMS)

Purchasing Credits#

One-Time Purchase#

Buy credits when needed:

  1. Navigate to Settings > Billing > Purchase Credits
  2. Select a credit package
  3. Enter quantity
  4. Review total
  5. Click Purchase
  6. Complete payment
  7. Credits added immediately

Auto-Refill#

Never run out of credits:

  1. Go to Settings > Billing > Auto-Refill
  2. Enable auto-refill
  3. Configure:
    • Trigger threshold (e.g., below 500 credits)
    • Refill amount (credits to purchase)
    • Maximum monthly refills
  4. Add payment method
  5. Save settings

Tip Auto-refill prevents campaign interruptions. Set the threshold high enough to cover your typical daily usage.

Payment Methods#

Accepted payment options:

Method Availability Auto-Refill
Credit/Debit Card All regions Yes
PayPal Most regions Yes
Bank Transfer Enterprise only No
UPI India No
Net Banking India No

Managing Payment Methods#

Add or update payment methods:

  1. Navigate to Settings > Billing > Payment Methods
  2. Add new method or edit existing
  3. Set default payment method
  4. Remove unused methods

Subscription Plans#

In addition to credits, Waflow offers subscription plans with platform features.

Plan Comparison#

Feature Free Starter Growth Business Enterprise
Monthly Credits 100 1,000 5,000 25,000 Custom
Team Members 1 3 10 25 Unlimited
Workspaces 1 1 3 10 Unlimited
Automations 2 10 50 200 Unlimited
Templates 5 25 100 500 Unlimited
API Access No Limited Full Full Full
Support Community Email Priority Dedicated Premium

Upgrading Your Plan#

Upgrade to unlock more features:

  1. Go to Settings > Billing > Plan
  2. Click Upgrade
  3. Select new plan
  4. Review changes
  5. Confirm upgrade
  6. Changes take effect immediately

Downgrading#

Reduce your plan:

  1. Navigate to Settings > Billing > Plan
  2. Click Change Plan
  3. Select lower plan
  4. Review limitations
  5. Confirm downgrade
  6. Changes take effect at next billing cycle

Warning Downgrading may disable features you currently use. Review the limitations carefully before confirming.

Invoices and Receipts#

Accessing Invoices#

View and download invoices:

  1. Go to Settings > Billing > Invoices
  2. View list of all invoices
  3. Filter by date or status
  4. Click to view details
  5. Download as PDF

Invoice Details#

Each invoice includes:

  • Invoice number and date
  • Billing period
  • Itemized charges
  • Credits purchased
  • Subscription fees
  • Taxes applied
  • Total amount
  • Payment status

Billing Information#

Update your billing details:

  1. Navigate to Settings > Billing > Billing Info
  2. Update:
    • Company name
    • Billing address
    • Tax ID / GST number
    • Contact email
  3. Save changes
  4. New invoices will use updated info

Tax Information#

Waflow handles taxes based on your location:

Region Tax Rate
India GST 18%
EU VAT Country-specific
US Sales Tax State-specific
Others Varies Location-based

Spending Controls#

Protect your budget with spending controls.

Budget Limits#

Set maximum spending:

  1. Go to Settings > Billing > Limits
  2. Configure:
    • Daily limit
    • Weekly limit
    • Monthly limit
  3. Choose action when limit reached:
    • Pause sending
    • Notify only
    • Require approval

Campaign Budgets#

Set per-campaign limits:

  1. When creating a campaign
  2. Enable Budget Limit
  3. Set maximum credits for campaign
  4. Campaign pauses when limit reached

Approval Workflows#

Require approval for large sends:

  1. Navigate to Settings > Billing > Approvals
  2. Enable approval workflow
  3. Set threshold (e.g., campaigns over 5,000 credits)
  4. Designate approvers
  5. Configure notification settings

Cost Optimization#

Reduce your messaging costs.

Best Practices#

Choose the Right Category:

  • Use utility templates for transactional messages
  • Authentication category has lowest costs
  • Avoid marketing category when not needed

Leverage Free Conversations:

  • Click-to-WhatsApp ads provide free entry
  • WhatsApp QR codes offer 72-hour free window
  • User-initiated conversations are cheaper

Optimize Timing:

  • Send within existing conversation windows
  • Batch messages within 24-hour periods
  • Use service category for support replies

Cost Reduction Strategies#

Strategy Potential Savings
Proper template categorization 30-50%
Using free entry points Up to 100%
Batching messages 20-40%
Cleaning contact lists 10-20%
Time zone optimization 5-15%

Cost Calculator#

Estimate campaign costs:

  1. Go to Campaigns > New Campaign
  2. Select audience
  3. Choose template
  4. View estimated cost breakdown:
    • Credits per message by region
    • Total credits required
    • Compare to budget

Enterprise Billing#

Features for enterprise customers.

Consolidated Billing#

Manage billing across workspaces:

  1. Navigate to Organization > Billing
  2. View all workspace usage
  3. Allocate credits to workspaces
  4. Generate consolidated invoices

Custom Pricing#

Enterprise customers may qualify for:

  • Volume-based discounts
  • Custom credit packages
  • Committed use discounts
  • Annual payment discounts

Contact sales for custom pricing.

Credit Allocation#

Distribute credits to teams:

  1. Go to Organization > Credit Allocation
  2. View workspace allocations
  3. Adjust distributions
  4. Set automatic allocations

Billing Reports#

Generate detailed reports:

  1. Navigate to Organization > Reports
  2. Select report type:
    • Usage by workspace
    • Usage by department
    • Cost center analysis
    • Trend reports
  3. Choose date range
  4. Export to CSV or PDF

Getting Help#

Billing Support#

For billing questions:

  • Email: [email protected]
  • In-app: Help > Billing Support
  • Phone: Available for Business and Enterprise plans

Dispute Resolution#

If you believe you were charged incorrectly:

  1. Go to Settings > Billing > Support
  2. Click Open Dispute
  3. Provide details and evidence
  4. Our team will investigate within 48 hours

Refund Policy#

Credits are generally non-refundable, with exceptions:

  • Technical errors causing incorrect charges
  • Service outages preventing message delivery
  • Billing errors on our part

Next Steps#

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