Comment by abdullahkhalids
2 years ago
Whatsapp was asking for $1/year [1]
[1] https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/jan/18/whatsapp-...
2 years ago
Whatsapp was asking for $1/year [1]
[1] https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/jan/18/whatsapp-...
I've been using WhatsApp when the nominal $1/year fee was still around, but somehow never ended up being actually charged, and I don't know anyone that did.
It's possible that they were only enforcing it in some regions, though.
Indeed. I just ignored the dialog box the first time it popped up. But next year I paid. It was quite a big deal because back then it was equal to my entire monthly cellphone bill in Pakistan.
But I remember other people started to en masse switch to other messengers like Viber(?). And Whatsapp had to stop enforcing the fee.
I was billed 0,99€ (Germany) exactly once, but was able to use WhatsApp without payment for most of the time just by ignoring the notification. I remember that they repeatedly gave grace periods and just set another payment date a few weeks later.
The price changed a few times but they definitely had a lifetime thing once.
All pricing was entirely optional
Here's one reference to a different price (can't find lifetime except for people complaining that Facebook didn't honor it on original ToS)
https://www.wired.com/2011/11/whatsapp-messenger-app/