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The WhatsApp messaging service will become (partially) paid. Users who want to use advanced features, especially for business purposes, will have to pay in the future.
WhatsApp will become a paid service: What will change for users?
WhatsApp, one of the world’s most widely used messaging services, is facing a significant change: Certain features will become subject to a fee in the future. The app will remain free of charge, but some additional features will only be available for a fee.
- Basic features such as sending messages, photos, and videos will remain free.
- New paid features are primarily aimed at businesses and professional users. These include advanced tools for customer communication, more extensive automation, and special marketing features.
- Private users will not have to pay any fees for standard use. Costs will only be incurred if they wish to use the advanced services.
Advertising, new sources of revenue, and WhatsApp Premium
WhatsApp plans to position itself more strongly as an advertising platform. In the future, companies will be able to place targeted ads within the messenger, for example in WhatsApp status messages or chats.
- For private users, this means that they may encounter advertisements more frequently in the future if they use the free version.
- A so-called “WhatsApp Premium” model is in the works. This is primarily aimed at business customers and offers exclusive additional features such as the management of multiple devices or the use of special links for customer communication.
- The prices for these premium offers are not yet final, but are expected to be billed on a monthly basis.
- Conclusion: WhatsApp will remain free for the majority of users. However, those who want to use advanced features, especially for business purposes, will have to expect additional costs in the future. In addition, advertising will become more prominent in the messenger app in order to tap new sources of revenue.
