How WhatsApp Business API pricing works
Meta charges for WhatsApp Business API messages per delivered message. The price depends on the message’s category and the recipient’s country. Starting October 1, 2026:
- Marketing, utility and authentication templates are charged each time one is delivered, whether or not a 24-hour customer service window is open.
- Service messages are free for the first 1,000 per business phone number each month. After that, each one is charged. Unused free messages don’t carry over, and each phone number’s count resets on the 1st of each month.
- When a customer messages you from a Click-to-WhatsApp ad and you reply within 24 hours, a free entry point window opens. While it’s open (up to 7 days), messages to that customer aren’t charged.
Meta sets the rates and can update them as often as quarterly. For rates by country, see Messaging rates.
Message categories
Meta sorts every WhatsApp Business API message into one of four categories. The category decides how the message is charged.
- Marketing templates: promotions, offers, product announcements and other messages that aim to drive sales or engagement.
- Utility templates: updates about a specific transaction or account, such as an order confirmation or a delivery update.
- Authentication templates: one-time passcodes that let customers verify their identity.
- Service messages: non-template messages, such as text, images, files or saved replies, that you send while a customer service window is open.
Customer service window
A customer service window is a 24-hour period that starts when a customer messages your business. Each new message from the customer restarts the 24 hours.
While the window is open, you can send both service messages and templates. After it closes, you can only send templates. To send service messages again, the customer needs to message you first.
What you’re charged for
Templates: marketing, utility and authentication
You’re charged for each delivered marketing, utility and authentication template, whether or not a customer service window is open. The rate depends on the template’s category and the recipient’s country.
For example, if you send one marketing template and two utility templates to a customer, this counts as three charges, even if the customer messaged you within the last 24 hours.
📝 Note: Before October 1, 2026, utility templates sent within a customer service window were free. This no longer applies.
Service messages
Service messages are non-template messages, such as text, images or files, that you send while a customer service window is open. This includes replies from your team, saved replies and automated replies.
- Each business phone number gets 1,000 free service messages per month.
- After the first 1,000, each delivered service message is charged at the service rate for the recipient’s country.
- Unused free messages don’t carry over. The count resets at the start of each month (12:00 AM in your WhatsApp Business Account’s time zone).
Example: how service messages are counted
Hour 0: A customer messages your business outside working hours. This opens a customer service window.
Hour 0: Your AI agent sends a text reply saying an agent will respond at 9 AM. This counts as one service message.
Hour 12: A team member replies with another text message. This counts as a second service message.
Each message counts on its own. Both are free while your phone number is within its 1,000 free service messages for the month. After that, each one is charged.
Click-to-WhatsApp ads and free entry points
A free entry point window opens when a customer messages you from a Click-to-WhatsApp ad on Android or iOS and you reply within the customer service window. It can stay open for up to 7 days. While it’s open, marketing, utility, authentication and service messages to that customer aren’t charged, and they don’t count toward volume tiers. For more on running Click-to-WhatsApp ads with SleekFlow, see the Click-to-WhatsApp ads guide.
Volume tiers for utility and authentication messages
Since July 1, 2025, Meta has offered volume-based pricing tiers for utility and authentication templates. The more messages you send in these categories, the lower your rate.
How volume tiers work
- Tier-based rates: As you send more messages, you unlock lower rates based on volume tiers. The reduced rate only applies to messages within the higher tier.
- Per market and category: Tiers are defined separately by market (for example, Brazil or India) and message category (utility or authentication). Your volume in one category or market does not affect another.
- Monthly reset: Message counts reset to 0 at the start of each calendar month (12:00 AM in your WhatsApp Business Account’s time zone).
- Counts across business accounts: If your business manages multiple WhatsApp Business Accounts, your message volumes are combined by market and category across your entire business portfolio.
📝 Note: Only charged messages count toward volume tiers. Starting October 1, 2026, this includes utility templates sent within a customer service window. Messages sent within a free entry point window don’t count.
Example: how volume tiers apply
The table below shows how volume tiers work for authentication messages sent to India. This example is illustrative only. For tier thresholds and tier rates, see Meta's rate card on the Meta WhatsApp Pricing page.
Source: Meta
Example 1: Sending B authentication messages in India
- The first A messages are charged at List Rate.
- Messages A+1 to B are charged at Tier Rate 1.
- Total cost = (messages in each tier) × (rate for that tier)
Example 2: Mid-month eligibility for new rates
If your business becomes eligible for authentication-international rates on the 15th of the month:
- From Day 1 to 14, messages use the volume tiers for the original rate (for example, authentication).
- From Day 15 onward, messages use the volume tiers for the new rate (for example, authentication-international), based on the total messages sent that month.
📝 Note: If you already reached Tier 2 by mid-month, your new rate (for example, authentication-international) starts at Tier 2 pricing from Day 15 onward.
Messaging rates
WhatsApp messaging fees are charged by Meta. Rates may be updated as often as quarterly. For the latest rates, see Meta WhatsApp Pricing.
⚠️ Note: WhatsApp message fees are based on the recipient’s country or region, not the sender’s. If your team messages customers in different regions, Meta charges each message at the rate for that recipient’s region.
Per-message rates (in USD), effective October 1, 2026
Market |
Marketing |
Utility |
Authentication |
Authentication- International |
Service |
Argentina |
0.07107 |
0.02990 |
0.02990 |
n/a |
0.0260 |
Bangladesh |
0.08418 |
0.00426 |
0.00426 |
0.1104 |
0.0037 |
Brazil |
0.07188 |
0.00782 |
0.00782 |
n/a |
0.0068 |
Chile |
0.10224 |
0.02300 |
0.02300 |
n/a |
0.0200 |
Colombia |
0.01438 |
0.00092 |
0.00092 |
n/a |
0.0008 |
Egypt |
0.07406 |
0.00414 |
0.00414 |
0.0748 |
0.0036 |
France |
0.09879 |
0.03450 |
0.03450 |
n/a |
0.0300 |
Germany |
0.15698 |
0.06325 |
0.06325 |
n/a |
0.0550 |
Hong Kong |
0.08418 |
0.02990 |
0.02990 |
n/a |
0.0260 |
Hungary |
0.09890 |
0.04025 |
0.04025 |
n/a |
0.0350 |
India |
0.01357 |
0.00161 |
0.00161 |
0.0350 |
0.0014 |
Indonesia |
0.04727 |
0.02875 |
0.02875 |
0.1564 |
0.0250 |
Iraq |
0.03922 |
0.00909 |
0.00909 |
0.1472 |
0.0079 |
Israel |
0.04060 |
0.00610 |
0.00610 |
n/a |
0.0053 |
Italy |
0.09143 |
0.03450 |
0.03450 |
n/a |
0.0300 |
Kazakhstan |
0.06946 |
0.02070 |
0.02070 |
0.1840 |
0.0180 |
Kuwait |
0.09108 |
0.05060 |
0.05060 |
0.1380 |
0.0440 |
Malaysia |
0.09890 |
0.01610 |
0.01610 |
0.0481 |
0.0140 |
Mexico |
0.04566 |
0.00978 |
0.00978 |
n/a |
0.0085 |
Morocco |
0.04761 |
0.02645 |
0.02645 |
0.0933 |
0.0230 |
Netherlands |
0.18366 |
0.05750 |
0.05750 |
n/a |
0.0500 |
Nepal |
0.08418 |
0.00391 |
0.00391 |
0.1288 |
0.0034 |
Nigeria |
0.05934 |
0.00771 |
0.00771 |
0.0863 |
0.0067 |
Oman |
0.03922 |
0.02841 |
0.02841 |
0.0690 |
0.0247 |
Pakistan |
0.05440 |
0.01725 |
0.01725 |
0.0863 |
0.0150 |
Peru |
0.08085 |
0.03450 |
0.03450 |
n/a |
0.0300 |
Poland |
0.04209 |
0.01403 |
0.01403 |
n/a |
0.0122 |
Qatar |
0.03922 |
0.01380 |
0.01380 |
n/a |
0.0120 |
Romania |
0.09890 |
0.03335 |
0.03335 |
n/a |
0.0290 |
Russia |
0.09223 |
0.04600 |
0.04600 |
n/a |
0.0400 |
Saudi Arabia |
0.06624 |
0.01231 |
0.01231 |
0.0688 |
0.0107 |
Singapore |
0.08418 |
0.01840 |
0.01840 |
n/a |
0.0160 |
South Africa |
0.04359 |
0.01093 |
0.01093 |
0.0230 |
0.0095 |
Spain |
0.08131 |
0.02300 |
0.02300 |
n/a |
0.0200 |
Sri Lanka |
0.08418 |
0.00230 |
0.00230 |
0.1656 |
0.0020 |
Turkey |
0.01254 |
0.00104 |
0.00104 |
n/a |
0.0009 |
Ukraine |
0.09890 |
0.03427 |
0.03427 |
0.0858 |
0.0298 |
United Arab Emirates |
0.06624 |
0.01806 |
0.01806 |
0.0587 |
0.0157 |
United Kingdom |
0.07303 |
0.02530 |
0.02530 |
n/a |
0.0220 |
North America |
0.02875 |
0.00391 |
0.00391 |
n/a |
0.0034 |
Rest of Africa |
0.02588 |
0.00460 |
0.00460 |
n/a |
0.0040 |
Rest of Asia Pacific |
0.09683 |
0.01300 |
0.01300 |
n/a |
0.0113 |
Rest of Central & Eastern Europe |
0.09890 |
0.02438 |
0.02438 |
n/a |
0.0212 |
Rest of Latin America |
0.08510 |
0.01300 |
0.01300 |
n/a |
0.0113 |
Rest of Middle East |
0.04508 |
0.01047 |
0.01047 |
n/a |
0.0091 |
Rest of Western Europe |
0.06808 |
0.01967 |
0.01967 |
n/a |
0.0171 |
Other |
0.06946 |
0.00886 |
0.00886 |
n/a |
0.0077 |
Frequently asked questions
Are utility templates free inside the customer service window?
No. Starting October 1, 2026, utility templates are charged whether or not a customer service window is open. Before that date, utility templates sent inside the window were free.
Is the 1,000 free service message allowance per account or per phone number?
Per business phone number. Each number gets 1,000 free delivered service messages per month. Unused free messages don’t carry over, and numbers can’t share them.
Do automated replies count as service messages?
Yes. Any non-template message you send while a customer service window is open is a service message, whether a team member or an automation, such as an AI agent, sends it.
Can I send a free-form message after the customer service window closes?
No. After the window closes, you can only send templates, which are charged. The window opens again when the customer messages you.
Which country’s rate applies?
The recipient’s country or region, not your business’s. If you message customers in several countries, each message is charged at the rate for that customer’s country or region.
Who sets WhatsApp Business API rates, and how often do they change?
Meta sets the rates. They can change as often as quarterly, and changes take effect on the first day of a quarter.