What changed
This applies to the WhatsApp Business Platform — the API that support inboxes, chatbots and business software use. The free WhatsApp Business app on your phone is not affected. Until September, replying to a customer within 24 hours of their last message cost nothing. From 1 October 2026, Meta charges for those replies once a number has used its monthly allowance.
| Message type | Until 30 September 2026 | From 1 October 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Service (your free-form replies) | Free inside the 24-hour window | First 1,000 a month per business number free, then charged per message |
| Utility templates inside the window | Free | Charged per message |
| Utility templates outside the window | Charged | Charged |
| Authentication (OTPs) | Charged | Charged |
| Marketing | Charged | Charged |
| Messages customers send you | Free | Free |
The 1,000 free service messages reset every month and do not carry over. Conversations that start from a free entry point — a Click-to-WhatsApp ad or the WhatsApp button on your Facebook Page — still give you a 72-hour window in which messages are free.
What it costs in India
Businesses in India have been billed in rupees since 1 January 2026, when Meta also raised the marketing rate to about ₹0.86 per message. Service replies beyond the free 1,000 are charged at roughly the utility rate — around ₹0.12 each — with 18% GST on top and any fee your provider adds.
Meta revises rates during the year, so treat these as a guide and check the current rate card in WhatsApp Manager or with your provider before you set a budget.
Who feels it most
- Small shops and clinics answering a few hundred chats a month: little or no change.
- Support teams handling thousands of chats: a new monthly cost, which grows with every back-and-forth.
- Chatbots that reply in several bubbles: each bubble is a separate message, so a bot that sends three messages per answer triples the bill.
- Order and delivery updates sent right after a customer writes in: these utility templates used to be free inside the window and are now charged.
How to keep the bill down
- 01
Look at your numbers
WhatsApp Manager shows how many messages each number sends by category. Most businesses don’t know this figure until they look.
- 02
Send fewer, fuller replies
Combine a chatbot’s three short bubbles into one clear message with buttons. Customers prefer it, and you pay once.
- 03
Answer common questions before the chat
Prices, timings, order status and booking slots on your website or in a self-service link cut the number of chats in the first place.
- 04
Use the free entry points
If you run ads, Click-to-WhatsApp ads open a 72-hour free window — useful for sales conversations that take a few days.
- 05
Review automatic templates
Order, shipping and reminder templates now cost money even when the customer has just written in. Keep the ones customers value and drop the rest.
- 06
Compare provider fees
Many providers add a per-message fee on top of Meta’s. At higher volumes, connecting to Meta’s Cloud API directly can be cheaper.
Our WhatsApp Business API guide explains the platform, its rules and how to set it up, and is updated for this change.
Questions people ask
- Does this affect the free WhatsApp Business app?
- No. The change is to the WhatsApp Business Platform (the API). The WhatsApp Business app on your phone stays free.
- Do unused free service messages roll over?
- No. Each business number gets 1,000 free service messages per month, and unused ones expire at the end of the month.
- Am I charged when a customer messages me?
- No. Incoming messages are free. You pay for the messages you send, by category.
- Were marketing messages affected?
- They were already charged on every send. For India, Meta raised the marketing rate on 1 January 2026, to about ₹0.86 per message.
Sources
- Meta — Pricing on the WhatsApp Business Platform
- Twilio — Notice: Changes to WhatsApp’s pricing (October 2026)
- 360dialog — Service message charging starts October 1, 2026
- YCloud — WhatsApp API pricing update effective October 1, 2026
Rules and prices change. Check the official source before you rely on a date or a number.
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