WhatsApp pricing policy
WhatsApp charges for each message a business sends through the WhatsApp Business Platform. The price depends on the message type and the recipient's country.
Let's talk about which messages are free and which ones you pay for, how template categories affect pricing, and how to track your spending.
On October 1, 2026, WhatsApp changed how it bills messages within the 24-hour customer service window. Read more: Changes starting October 1, 2026.
Basic concepts
The price of messages you send depends on:
- the recipient's country, based on their phone code;
- the message category, such as Marketing, Utility, Authentication, or a service message.
When a user messages you, a 24-hour customer service window starts. Each new message from the user restarts it. Within this window, you can send service messages. These are free-form messages that don't use a template and can include text, images, buttons, or product cards. Outside the window, you can send only template messages.
Here's what WhatsApp charges for each message type:
| Service messages | Each phone number gets 1,000 free service messages per month. After that, WhatsApp charges each service message at the Utility rate for the recipient's country. |
| Utility templates | WhatsApp charges each message, both inside and outside the customer service window. These messages don't count toward the 1,000 free service messages. |
| Marketing and Authentication templates | WhatsApp charges each message. |
| Incoming messages | Free. |
A free entry-point window starts when a user messages you by clicking a call-to-action button in a click-to-WhatsApp ad. The window lasts up to 7 days. During this time, all messages you send, both template and non-template, are free.
Learn more: Pricing on the WhatsApp Business Platform.
Template categories
When creating templates and submitting them for moderation, companies must specify their categories. Meta will not accept templates whose contents do not coincide with the selected category.
Each template message is priced by its category. Before you send a template of any category, make sure the customer has opted in to receive messages from you.
| Category | Description | Template Examples |
| Utility | Processing specific requests or transactions, sending customers updates on their current orders, including post-purchase notifications and recurring billing statements. | Confirming or suspending an existing transaction. "Your order #0021 is confirmed." Changing or updating a transaction. "Your order has been shipped! It will be delivered on Friday." Sending account, billing, or payment notifications. "Your payment has failed; click here to retry." |
| Authentication | Authenticating users using one-time codes, for example, during a multistep login process (account verification or recovery, account integrity issues). These templates are strictly regulated. | Providing an authentication code to a user. "{{1}} is your verification code. To keep your account safe, do not share this code." |
| Marketing | Sending promotions, offers, and other information or calls to action. A flexible category* | Sending promotions or offers. "Thanks for your order! Use code SAVE20 to get 20% off your next order!" Sending welcome or farewell messages. "Our Bakery is now on WhatsApp!" Sending updates, invitations, newsletters, or recommendations. "Good news! The product you saved is back in stock." Sending requests or calls to action. "Thank you for your order. We'd love your feedback. Please click here." |
*Any template containing both utility and marketing content will be categorized as a marketing template. Other templates that don't fit the utility, authentication, or service content description also fall under the "Marketing" category.
How to plan your budget
To find out how much you spend on messages and at what rates, go to your chatbot's statistics section.
WhatsApp rates vary by the recipient's country, and Meta updates them from time to time. To check the current rates, go to the pricing page and choose a country in the WhatsApp section.
Message pricing examples
Let's have a look at a few examples of conversations with users to understand how WhatsApp pricing policy works.
Scenario #1. A user contacts customer support reps, communicating with them within a 24-hour customer service window.
Anna sends a message (1) to Commercial Air about her booking. This triggers a 24-hour customer service window.
Within this window, Commercial Air replies with service messages. If their phone number hasn't used up its 1,000 free service messages this month, these replies are free. Once the free messages run out, WhatsApp charges each reply at the Utility rate for Anna's country.
If Commercial Air sends a Utility template within this window, such as a booking confirmation, WhatsApp charges. It doesn't count toward the 1,000 free service messages.
If Commercial Air continues messaging Anna after the window ends, they'll need to send template messages, which WhatsApp charges based on their category.
Scenario #2. A business sends a template message with no reply from a user.
When the flight status changes or the flight gets canceled altogether, Commercial Air will notify its customers by sending template messages.
The first message (1) informs Anne that her flight has been delayed by half an hour.
The second message (2) reminds her that her flight is departing in 15 minutes.
In this scenario, both messages fall under the Utility category, so charges apply based on the Utility rates and the recipient's country.
Scenario #3. A business sends a template message and receives a reply from a user.
When a customer orders something from Barbara's store, the company sends a confirmation message (1), letting them know that their order has been received, and asks if the customer wants to get a delivery notification.
The customer agrees to receive a delivery notification (2), which starts a 24-hour customer service window, and the company messages some additional information (3).
In this scenario, the order confirmation (1) is a Utility template, so WhatsApp charges it at the Utility rate for the customer's country. The additional information (3) is a service message sent within the customer service window. It's free while the phone number has free service messages left this month, and WhatsApp charges it at the Utility rate after that.
What changed on October 1, 2026
On October 1, 2026, WhatsApp changed how it charges messages sent within the 24-hour customer service window:
- Service messages. Each phone number gets 1,000 free service messages per month. After that, WhatsApp charges each service message at the Utility rate for the recipient's country. Before October 1, all service messages were free.
- Utility templates. Utility templates sent within the customer service window are now charged per message. Before October 1, they were free.
- Country rates. Meta also updated Utility and Authentication rates in multiple countries. For example, Morocco and Kuwait now have their own rates instead of regional ones. Service messages beyond the free tier are charged at the same rate as Utility and Authentication templates, so these changes affect them too.
Incoming messages remain free. The free entry-point window for click-to-WhatsApp ads now lasts up to 7 days instead of 72 hours.
Learn more: Pricing updates for service and utility messages.
To keep your messaging costs under control, follow these recommendations:
- Use the free entry-point window. When a user messages you from a click-to-WhatsApp ad, a free entry-point window starts. It lasts up to 7 days. During this time, every message you deliver, both template and non-template, is free.
- Review your existing flows. Check if they send multiple messages in a row without any action from the user. Send messages only when needed and only in response to a button click or another user action.
- Whenever possible, combine multiple messages into one to minimize billable messages.
Last Updated: 08.10.2026
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