What is the WhatsApp free entry point window?
The WhatsApp free entry point window (FEP) is a billing exception on Cloud API: when a person messages you from a Click-to-WhatsApp ad or a Facebook Page call-to-action, and you reply within 24 hours of that inbound, Meta opens up to 72 hours of free messaging (including templates) from the time of your reply. It is not the 24-hour customer service window (CSW). The CSW still starts on the customer inbound and still governs when free-form session messages are allowed. FEP only waives delivery charges on that ad-originated thread when the 24-hour reply condition is met. Miss the 24-hour first reply and you never get the 72-hour free clock. Ominiflow’s shared inbox plus a 24/7 qualifier bot exists so night ad clicks still earn FEP. Meta Business Agent token fees, when used, still charge inside FEP.
Last updated: 18 September 2026
Almost every Click-to-WhatsApp explainer repeats “72-hour free window.” Almost none print the condition Meta actually uses: the WhatsApp free entry point window opens only if you reply within 24 hours of the user’s ad-originated message. A night click that sits in an empty inbox until morning never earned FEP. You then pay for the first marketing template like any cold send — and you already paid for the ad click.
This page separates FEP (billing) from the 24-hour customer service window (permission), then maps both onto Ominiflow. Ads creative: CTWA best practices. Product: Click-to-WhatsApp ads. Pricing: API cost guide.
24h
to send the first reply that unlocks FEP — miss it, no 72-hour free clock
72h
free entry point billing window, measured from your qualifying reply
CSW
separate 24-hour permission window from the customer inbound — still applies
Start here
- FEP = up to 72 hours of free delivery (including templates) after a CTWA / Page CTA entry, if you reply within 24 hours.
- CSW = 24 hours of permission to send free-form session messages after any customer inbound. It is not a billing holiday for marketing templates outside FEP.
- FEP does not mean you may spam forever. After 72 hours, promotional templates need documented Marketing opt-in.
- From 1 October 2026, ordinary service replies outside FEP follow the new service card (1,000 free/month/number). FEP still waives delivery on that ad session when earned. October 2026 update.
- Meta Business Agent tokens still bill inside FEP. Delivery-free ≠ model-free.
- Ominiflow: bot first reply 24/7, campaign tag, then human in the shared inbox so the 24-hour FEP gate is not a day-shift lottery.
Two windows people mash into one sentence
| Customer service window (CSW) | Free entry point (FEP) | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Permission to send free-form (non-template) messages | Billing exception: delivery charges waived |
| Starts | Customer inbound (any source) | Your first reply, only if that reply is within 24h of a CTWA/Page-CTA inbound |
| Length | 24 hours from last customer inbound (clock resets on new inbound) | Up to 72 hours from your qualifying reply |
| Templates | Still allowed; marketing still billed unless another exception applies | Templates included in the free delivery window |
| If you miss it | You must use an approved template to re-open | You never get the 72h free clock; first paid template is ordinary marketing/utility |
You can be inside CSW and outside FEP. You can be inside FEP with templates that would have been paid on a non-ad thread. You cannot skip the 24-hour first reply and still claim 72 hours of free broadcasts “because it was an ad click.”
The condition nobody puts in the hero banner
Entry points Meta documents for FEP are Click-to-WhatsApp ads and Facebook call-to-action buttons that land in WhatsApp. The user must message. You must respond within 24 hours. The 72 hours count from your reply, not from the click timestamp.
That is why a business that “runs CTWA” and staffs WhatsApp 10 a.m.–7 p.m. IST lights money on fire for US/Gulf night clicks and for India 11 p.m. festive traffic. The bot is not a nice-to-have. It is the FEP gate.
Do not confuse this with Ads Manager bidding or with WhatsApp max price on the Marketing Messages API. Three different meters: ad click, message delivery card/FEP, optional MM API cap.
After 72 hours
The thread is not yours to promo. Ask for Marketing opt-in in-thread (business name, what you will send, STOP). Utility that follows an order the person placed is a different category — it follows the order, not the ad. Policy recap: messaging policy.
Lead-form vs chat: Facebook lead ads vs WhatsApp.
How Ominiflow earns the window
- Point the CTWA destination at the Cloud API number, not a personal phone.
- Qualifier bot replies in seconds (hours, SKU, city, “talk to human”). That is the FEP-opening message.
- Tag the campaign so reporting is not “all WhatsApp.”
- Handoff in the shared inbox with the bot transcript. Agents do not restart the pitch.
- Before hour 72, capture Marketing opt-in if you want a broadcast list. Silence is not consent.
India Meta fees pass at cost. Typical Cloud API go-live 5–7 business days with complete documents. Start free.
FAQ
Is the WhatsApp 72-hour window automatic when someone clicks an ad? expand_more
No. The user must message from the Click-to-WhatsApp / Page CTA entry, and you must reply within 24 hours. Then FEP runs up to 72 hours from your reply.
Is FEP the same as the 24-hour WhatsApp session? expand_more
No. The 24-hour customer service window is permission for free-form replies after any inbound. FEP is a billing exception for ad/CTA entries. Both can be open at once; they are not the same clock.
Are templates free inside the free entry point window? expand_more
Yes — delivery of those messages is in the FEP exception when FEP was earned. Meta Business Agent token usage is still charged. After FEP, marketing templates are billed unless another exception applies.
What if we reply 25 hours later? expand_more
You did not earn FEP. Continue under ordinary CSW/template rules and the published rate card.
Does Ominiflow show time remaining? expand_more
The shared inbox is built around session state so agents can see whether they are in an open window. Pair that with an always-on first-reply bot so FEP is not missed overnight. Last updated 18 September 2026. Confirm live Meta pricing docs for FEP eligibility and October 2026 service billing. Not a substitute for Ads Manager policy.
