Businesses using the WhatsApp Business Platform will see changes to messaging charges from October 1, 2026, as Meta revises its pricing structure for business communications.
The change is likely to affect companies that use WhatsApp on a scale for customer support, order updates, delivery notifications, automated replies and other business communications. However, regular WhatsApp users and businesses using the WhatsApp Business app are not the target of this new Platform pricing change.
What Is Changing on WhatsApp Business?
Until September 30, businesses using the WhatsApp Business Platform could respond to customers without a Meta messaging charge during the 24-hour customer service window after a customer contacted them.
From October 1, Meta will begin charging for certain utility messages sent during this window, such as order confirmations and delivery updates. Service replies will also come under the revised pricing structure, although businesses will receive a monthly free allowance.
The 24-hour customer service window itself is not being removed. Businesses can still respond to customers within the window, subject to WhatsApp’s applicable rules and pricing.
First 1,000 Service Messages Will Remain Free
From October 1, Meta will provide 1,000 free service messages per month for each business phone number.
Once the monthly allowance is exhausted, additional service messages will be charged according to the applicable market rate. The allowance applies to messages, not customers or conversations.
For example, if a business sends 1,500 qualifying service replies in a month, the first 1,000 will be covered by the free allowance and the remaining 500 will be chargeable.
How Much Will WhatsApp Business Messages Cost in India?
For India, the reported rate for a standard utility message is ₹0.115 per delivered message before GST from October 1, 2026.
At that rate, 1,000 chargeable utility messages would cost ₹115 before GST. The actual amount businesses pay can vary depending on the message category, country and applicable taxes.
Marketing and authentication messages have separate pricing structures, so businesses should not assume that every WhatsApp Business message carries the same charge.
Who Will Be Affected?
The new pricing mainly concerns businesses using the WhatsApp Business Platform, which is designed for businesses that need APIs, automation, chatbots, CRM integrations and large-scale customer communication.
It does not mean that every message sent through the WhatsApp Business mobile app will suddenly become paid. Regular WhatsApp users are also not being charged for sending messages.
What Should Businesses Do?
Companies that rely heavily on WhatsApp for customer communication should review their monthly message volumes before the new pricing takes effect.
Businesses may also want to check whether their messages are classified as service, utility, marketing or authentication messages, because each category can have different pricing rules.
Companies using third-party WhatsApp solution providers should also check whether their provider applies additional platform or service fees on top of Meta’s charges.
