Slimbot
Meta is adjusting the pricing model of the WhatsApp Business API from 1 October 2026. Replying to customers was unlimited and free. From that date, you get 1,000 free service messages per number per month and pay per message above that. For most smaller businesses, nothing changes in practice, but it's good to know where you stand.
Two types of costs
There are two layers: (1) your platform/service subscription with your provider, and (2) the costs that Meta itself charges per message. This article is about that second layer.
What changes on 1 October 2026?
- Service messages become paid above 1,000 per month. A service message is a freely typed reply (not a template) within 24 hours after the customer messaged you. This applies to replies from a team member and from an AI assistant. Per business number, the first 1,000 per calendar month are free. From message 1,001 onwards, Meta charges per delivered message, at the same rate as a utility message in that country. Unused free messages do not roll over to the next month.
- Utility templates within the 24-hour window also cost money. An order confirmation or appointment reminder via a template was free as long as the window was open. From 1 October, you simply pay the utility rate for these.
- No payment method = no service messages. Meta will stop delivering service messages for accounts that do not have a payment method on 30 September 2026.
What remains free?
- Messages that customers send to you: those are always free.
- The first 1,000 service messages per number per month.
- The free 72-hour entry window: if a customer starts the conversation via a click-to-WhatsApp advert or the WhatsApp button on your Facebook page, all your messages in those 72 hours are free.
The tariffs per category
Meta charges per message, per category and by the recipient's country. Indication for a Dutch number (September 2026, excl. VAT):
| Category | Until 30 Sep 2026 | From 1 Oct 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Marketing (offer, newsletter) | approx. €0.13 per message | approx. €0.13 per message |
| Utility (order update, reminder) | approx. €0.04; free within the 24-hour window | approx. €0.04, even within the window |
| Authentication (login code) | Low, per country | Low, per country |
| Service (free reply within 24 hours) | Free | 1,000 per number per month free, then approx. €0.04 |
Meta adjusts the tariffs every quarter. The amounts above are indicative, not a quote.
Example calculation
A business answers 1,500 customer questions per month from one number. The first 1,000 replies are free; for the remaining 500 you pay approximately 500 × €0.04 = €20 per month to Meta. If you send fewer than 1,000 service messages per month, you pay nothing for replies.
How to keep costs down
- One message instead of three. Meta charges per message, so three short replies in a row cost three times as much as one complete reply. Have your assistant reply in one message.
- Let customers enter via an advert or your Facebook page. Then the free 72-hour window applies.
- Check your payment method before 30 September in Meta Business Suite (WhatsApp Manager → Payment). Without a payment method, Meta will stop delivering your replies as soon as they become paid.
Source: Meta for Developers — Pricing on the WhatsApp Business Platform. Also read our overview of all WhatsApp Business API news for 2026.
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