specification: FinOps Framework
specificationVersion: '1.0'
schema: https://www.finops.org/framework/
provider: Gupshup
providerId: gupshup
created: '2026-07-12'
modified: '2026-07-12'
reconciled: false
tags:
- Messaging
- WhatsApp
- CPaaS
- SMS
- RCS
- FinOps
- Cost Management
- FOCUS
description: >-
  FinOps view of Gupshup spend. Gupshup is a usage-based conversational messaging
  platform: cost accrues per message per channel. For WhatsApp, each billable
  message carries two stacked components - the Meta per-message rate (which
  depends on message category: marketing, utility, authentication, service; and on
  the destination country) plus a Gupshup platform / BSP fee. Since Meta's July
  2025 shift to per-message billing, utility and authentication categories use
  telescopic (volume-tiered) rates, so higher monthly volume lowers the unit rate.
  SMS and RCS accrue their own per-message rates by country and route. Accounts
  are wallet / prepaid-credit funded. The dominant cost drivers are message volume,
  category mix, and destination geography rather than any flat API subscription.
notes: >-
  Per-message rates are not reconciled here - they change frequently and vary by
  country and category. Verify against Gupshup's pricing pages and Meta's WhatsApp
  pricing schedule. The largest optimization levers are shifting eligible traffic
  into free service-window / utility messages, minimizing marketing-category
  sends, and consolidating volume to reach lower telescopic tiers.
sources:
- https://www.gupshup.io
- https://support.gupshup.io/hc/en-us/articles/360012075779-Whats-is-Gupshup-s-pricing-model-What-is-Gupshup-fee-and-WhatsApp-fee-in-pricing
- https://support.gupshup.io/hc/en-us/articles/38821010267673-WhatsApp-Pricing-Updates-2024-2025
- https://focus.finops.org/focus-specification/v1-3/
alignedWith:
  framework: FinOps Foundation Framework
  frameworkUrl: https://www.finops.org/framework/
  dataSpec: FOCUS
  dataSpecVersion: '1.3'
  dataSpecUrl: https://focus.finops.org/focus-specification/v1-3/
publisherName: Gupshup
serviceCategory: Conversational Messaging and CPaaS
billingModel:
  pricingCategory: Usage-Based
  billingFrequency: Prepaid / Monthly
  billingCurrency: USD
  chargeCategories:
  - Usage
  - Purchase
  - Adjustment
focusColumns:
  ServiceName: Gupshup Conversational Messaging
  ServiceCategory: Conversational Messaging and CPaaS
  ProviderName: Gupshup
  PublisherName: Gupshup
  InvoiceIssuerName: Gupshup
  BillingCurrency: USD
  ChargeCategory: Usage
  PricingCategory: Usage-Based
meters:
- name: whatsapp_messages
  description: WhatsApp messages billed per message; rate depends on category (marketing/utility/authentication/service) and destination country, plus Gupshup platform fee.
  unit: messages
  aggregation: sum
  dimensions:
  - account
  - app
  - category
  - country
- name: meta_message_fee
  description: The Meta per-message component of a WhatsApp send, telescopic for utility/authentication.
  unit: messages
  aggregation: sum
  dimensions:
  - category
  - country
- name: gupshup_platform_fee
  description: The Gupshup / BSP platform fee added per message.
  unit: messages
  aggregation: sum
  dimensions:
  - account
  - app
- name: sms_messages
  description: SMS messages billed per segment by country and route.
  unit: messages
  aggregation: sum
  dimensions:
  - account
  - country
- name: rcs_messages
  description: RCS messages billed per message by type and country.
  unit: messages
  aggregation: sum
  dimensions:
  - account
  - country
principles:
- name: Visibility
  description: Track message volume and spend broken down by channel, app, message category, and destination country; reconcile Meta fee vs Gupshup fee components.
- name: Allocation
  description: Name apps per team/use-case so per-message spend maps to internal cost centers and campaigns.
- name: Optimization
  description: Prefer free service-window and utility messages over marketing; consolidate volume to reach lower telescopic tiers; retire deprecating /sm SMS routes; right-size opt-in lists to avoid wasted sends.
- name: Accountability
  description: Assign owners per app/campaign; review monthly wallet burn against budget and message quality rating (which affects tier and deliverability).
maintainers:
- FN: Kin Lane
  email: kin@apievangelist.com