WhatsApp pricing update
WhatsApp replies are no longer free. Here is what changed.
Effective 1 October 2026 · Last checked 1 October 2026
The short version
Until now, replying to a customer who messaged you first cost nothing. From 1 October 2026, Meta gives each WhatsApp business number 1,000 free replies a month. After that, every reply costs ₹0.115 in India (about ₹0.136 with GST). Marketing, utility and OTP prices have not changed.
What changed on 1 October
- Replies now cost money after 1,000 a month. A customer messages you, and you, your team, a chatbot or an AI agent writes back. Each business phone number gets 1,000 of those replies free per month. From the 1,001st reply, Meta charges the utility rate (₹0.115 in India). The free 1,000 resets on the 1st of every month and does not carry over.
- Utility templates inside the 24-hour window are no longer free. An order confirmation or delivery update sent within 24 hours of the customer's last message used to be free. It is now charged at the normal utility rate.
- You need a payment method with Meta. If your WhatsApp account has no payment method in Meta Business Manager, Meta stops delivering your replies once the free 1,000 are used up.
The 24-hour rule itself is the same: you can still only send a free-form reply within 24 hours of the customer's last message. Only the billing changed.
Prices in India
Per delivered message, before 18% GST.
Marketing
Offers, promotions, broadcasts
₹0.8631
No change
Utility
Order updates, delivery alerts, reminders
₹0.115
No change
Authentication
OTPs and login codes
₹0.115
No change
Service (your replies)
Free-form replies inside the 24-hour window
₹0.115
Was free. Now first 1,000 a month free
What it costs, with an example
A shop sends 5,000 replies in a month. The first 1,000 are free. The other 4,000 cost 4,000 × ₹0.115 = ₹460, plus GST (about ₹543 in total). A business that sends fewer than 1,000 replies a month per number pays nothing extra.
What this means if you use Customer Pro
- Replies from your AI agents, chatbots and flows count the same as replies typed by your team.
- Meta bills you directly. We add 0% markup, and your Customer Pro plan price does not change.
- Check that your Meta Business account has a payment method, so replies keep going out after the first 1,000.
How to keep the cost down
- Say more in one reply instead of sending three short ones. Every message counts.
- Give your AI agent a good knowledge base, so it answers fully the first time.
- Spread busy numbers sensibly. The free 1,000 is per phone number, not per account.
Check your own rate card
This page sums up Meta's change as announced to WhatsApp Business Platform partners. Rates differ by country, and Meta's rate card is the final word. See Meta's WhatsApp pricing page, or the billing section of your own Meta Business Manager.
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