The WhatsApp Business Platform introduced charges for delivered service messages in India from October 1, 2026. Businesses also need a payment method on file to avoid service interruptions.
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WhatsApp Business Platform Introduces Per-Message Charges in India
From October 1, 2026, Meta has begun charging businesses for some messages sent through the WhatsApp Business Platform in India. This fee applies to customer service replies and increases messaging costs for businesses that use WhatsApp to communicate with customers.
According to Mint, businesses will receive 1,000 free service messages per business phone number per month. Once this limit is exceeded, Meta will charge ₹0.115 per delivered service message, or approximately ₹0.14 including GST.
WhatsApp Business Charges from October 1
Since November 1, 2024, service messages sent by businesses in response to customers have been free. Under the revised WhatsApp Business Platform pricing policy, businesses will be charged for eligible service messages once the monthly free allowance is exhausted. The cost will depend on the recipient's market.
Meta will also charge for utility template messages sent during an open 24-hour customer service window, according to the applicable pricing structure. This window opens when a customer messages a business and resets each time the customer sends another message.
This change will not affect regular WhatsApp users, who can continue using WhatsApp for personal messaging without these business messaging charges.
Payment Method Required to Avoid Disruption
Businesses using direct integrations or solution providers need to add a payment method to their messaging accounts. If a payment method was not on file by September 30, 2026, Meta warned that service messages could stop being delivered from October 1.
Businesses should review their billing settings and account for the new charges in their customer support budgets. The monthly allowance may be sufficient for businesses with lower message volumes, while those handling more customer enquiries will need to budget for additional delivered messages.
Meta Business Agent Uses Separate Pricing
Meta Business Agent messages follow a separate pricing model. These messages became chargeable on August 1, 2026, with fees based on token consumption to cover AI agent processing and message delivery.
According to Meta, a message will be charged under either the service-message pricing model or the Meta Business Agent pricing model, but not both.
Why This Matters
The new policy means businesses will need to monitor message volumes and billing more closely. The change may also affect customer communication budgets as businesses expand their use of AI agents and automated replies.
Business Honor observes that the revised WhatsApp Business Platform pricing makes payment setup and message-cost planning important for businesses.
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