Preparing Your Business for WhatsApp Message-Based Pricing
Facing Meta's pricing shift, building an internal committee and reviewing channel architecture prevents bottlenecks.
WhatsApp API message pricing demands more than just spreadsheet tweaks in marketing. It requires cross-functional alignment across IT, customer service, and corporate governance.
The shift in WhatsApp Business API's pricing model requires an operational overhaul for companies using the channel for customer service and user acquisition. Speaking with Bruno Gimenes on Marketing - The Podcast, Renato emphasized that the financial impact of this change shouldn't fall solely on marketing leadership, calling instead for a coordinated response across different organizational departments.
In the video above, the discussion details how managers can present this landscape to executive leadership without framing it strictly as a paid media budget issue.
Shared Responsibility and a Multidisciplinary Committee
Addressing the preparation needed for board meetings, Renato pointed out that handling the issue involves multiple departments across the company. "I don't think this responsibility belongs to him. I believe it's a shared responsibility across several people within the company—depending on the company, but it's a responsibility shared by multiple teams," he stated.
In his view, the ideal approach is centering the discussion around a collaborative table, bringing together IT, customer service, customer support, and ombudsman teams. Marketing's role in this context focuses on optimizing campaign delivery to cut future costs, while the broader organization reviews the complete customer contact ecosystem.
Solution Architecture and Partner Mapping
Rather than treating the update merely as an expense hike, Renato stressed that the priority should be technical and strategic. "Let's start a committee with the customer service folks, the support team, the ombudsman staff—bring people to the table because this is a solution architecture issue, man, it's not just a cost issue, it's a solution architecture issue," he explained.
This structural review involves mapping the entire customer journey to identify where WhatsApp adds real value and verifying whether existing CRM and support platforms are official Meta partners, mitigating technical risks like operational phone number bans.
An Opportunity to Build Governance and Processes
The pricing transition also creates room for companies to re-evaluate their tools and internal communication workflows. According to Renato, major shifts across the digital ecosystem serve as an incentive to get the house in order.
"Every moment like this is an opportunity, not a problem," Renato summarized, arguing that the scenario calls for structuring processes, governance, and allocating the right talent to manage the new tooling.