Every WhatsApp template belongs to a category, and the category decides three things: whether the guest had to opt in, what the message is allowed to say, and what it costs you. Marketing messages cost almost twice what Utility messages cost.
Most templates in Bookboost are Utility, and that is usually correct. Confirmations, check-in instructions, and cancellations are all Utility.
The three differences
What the message is. Utility is informational and transactional. Marketing is promotional.
Whether the guest opted in. Marketing requires explicit opt-in. Utility does not, because it is part of the service the guest is already using.
What it costs. Marketing is roughly double.
Utility templates
What they are for. Transactional or informative messages tied to a booking the guest already has: a booking confirmation, check-in instructions, a cancellation confirmation. The test is whether the guest would expect the message as part of the stay they booked.
Consent. No separate marketing opt-in is needed, because the message is part of the service.
Cost. The cheaper of the two. The exact rate depends on the category, the country of your business number, and the country of the guest's number.
Marketing templates
What they are for. Promotional messages: special offers, loyalty programme promotions, event invitations. Anything intended to prompt a purchase or a booking.
Consent. The guest must have explicitly opted in to marketing. This is not the same as having a reservation with you.
Cost. Almost twice the Utility rate. That reflects the stricter rules and the effort Meta puts into keeping promotional volume down. As with Utility, the rate varies by category, your business number's country, and the guest's country.
Choosing the right one
The category has to match the content, and Meta checks. A promotional message submitted as Utility is rejected, and this is one of the most common reasons for a rejection.
The grey area is worth naming. A check-in instruction that also mentions your spa offer is a marketing message. If a promotion has been added to a transactional template, the template has changed category, whether or not you changed the setting.
Templates are submitted as Utility by default, and a rejected template can be resubmitted as Marketing in one step. See Get a WhatsApp template approved.
What this does not do
You do not set the price. Meta does, and it varies by country pair. Its rates are on the WhatsApp pricing page.
Choosing Utility does not make a message Utility. Meta reviews the content against the category you chose.
Marketing templates are subject to a delivery limit Utility ones are not. A guest who has had too many marketing messages, from any business, will not receive yours. See WhatsApp error: "This message was not delivered to maintain a healthy ecosystem".
There is no authentication category in normal use here. That category exists on WhatsApp for verification codes, and it is not what hotel campaigns are for.
What to do next
To build and submit a template, see WhatsApp message templates.
Getting help
Open Help at the bottom of the left menu and choose Talk to Us, or email support@bookboost.io.