# Session message

A session message is a free-form WhatsApp message a business sends inside the 24-hour customer service window, without an approved template. Meta's official name for it is service message, and it is charged since October 1, 2026 beyond a monthly free tier.

Source: https://getkanal.com/whatsapp-marketing-glossary/session-message  
Last updated: 2026-10-08

Session messages are the replies a business sends while a customer service window is open, that is, in the 24 hours after the customer last wrote or called. They can contain any supported content: text, images, documents, interactive buttons or lists.

They contrast with template messages, which are required to start a conversation or to message a customer once the 24-hour window has closed.

On pricing, Meta did not charge for service messages between November 1, 2024 and September 30, 2026. Since October 1, 2026, each business phone number gets 1,000 free service messages per month, which do not roll over, and Meta charges from the 1,001st at the rate published for the recipient's market. Replies sent in a free entry point window, after a click on an ad that clicks to WhatsApp, remain free.

Session messages are central to support and conversational selling. In Kanal, they are sent from a [team inbox](https://getkanal.com/whatsapp-crm) or by the AI chatbot, and the [WhatsApp Business pricing guide](https://getkanal.com/blog/whatsapp-business-pricing-guide) details what each message costs.

## Kanal features

- [WhatsApp CRM](https://getkanal.com/whatsapp-crm): WhatsApp CRM built for Shopify stores

## Go deeper: articles

- [WhatsApp Customer Support for Shopify: 12 Essential Flows](https://getkanal.com/blog/whatsapp-customer-support-shopify): Build WhatsApp customer support for your Shopify store: 12 essential flows, AI tier-1 automation, Gorgias and Zendesk integrations and the metrics to track.
- [WhatsApp Bot for Ecommerce: How a WhatsApp Chatbot Works](https://getkanal.com/blog/whatsapp-chatbot-ecommerce-automation): How a WhatsApp chatbot for ecommerce works: rule-based flow or AI agent, Meta's rules (24-hour window, templates, opt-in, handoff), setup and metrics.
- [WhatsApp Business Pricing 2026: Cost per Message by Country](https://getkanal.com/blog/whatsapp-business-pricing-guide): WhatsApp Business pricing, October 2026: the app is free, the API bills each message: $0.0635 per UK marketing message, $0.0034 per US order update.

## Related terms

- [Customer service window (24-hour window)](https://getkanal.com/whatsapp-marketing-glossary/customer-service-window)
- [Conversation-based pricing](https://getkanal.com/whatsapp-marketing-glossary/conversation-based-pricing)