WhatsApp Business pricing changes from October 1, 2026: Key points for India – The Economic Times

Synopsis

Starting October 1, 2026, WhatsApp Business users in India will begin to face charges for service messages, which were previously provided free of charge. The new pricing, which will vary by market and be billed in Indian rupees, requires businesses to have a payment method on file to avoid service interruptions.
WhatsApp Business users in India need to take note of a pricing change from October 1, 2026. Meta is bringing charges for service messages sent by businesses in response to customers. Service messages had not been charged since November 1, 2024. From October 1, businesses will have to factor the per-message cost into their WhatsApp communication expenses.

WhatsApp Business charges from October 1

From October 1, Meta will charge businesses for every delivered service message. The rate depends on the market. For service messages, Meta says the applicable rate will be the same as the rate for utility and authentication messages in that market.For Indian businesses, the charge will be billed in Indian rupees.Meta has said there will be no volume-based pricing tiers for service messages.Utility messages sent in response to customers will also be chargedMeta will charge on a per-message basis for utility messages sent in response to users (within an open 24-hour customer service windowUtility template messages sent by businesses continue to be charged according to Meta’s applicable pricing structure.The 24-hour customer service window opens when a customer sends a message to a business and resets when the customer sends another message.
Meta Business Agent messages have been chargeable since August 1, 2026.Unlike service messages, these messages are charged based on token consumption. Meta says that the charge covers both AI agent processing and message delivery.

How much will Meta Business Agent messages cost in India?

For an Indian business, Meta will invoice the Business Agent account in Indian rupees (INR).In a blog post, Meta wrote, “For any solution provider or directly-integrated businesses that does not have a payment method on file by September 30, 2026, Meta will stop delivering service messages as of when they become charged on October 1, 2026.” The change applies to non-template service messages sent in response to users within an open 24-hour customer service window.

Will all WhatsApp business messages sent be charged?

No, Meta will charge for delivered service messages rather than simply messages sent by businesses. The charge will be calculated per message, with rates varying by market.Only during a 24-hour customer care session can businesses send non-template communications. Every time a user sends a message, that window opens or resets, thus companies are unable to leverage these messages to start interactions with users.

Is adding the payment method mandatory?

Businesses without a payment method on file by September 30 risk having their service messages stop being delivered when the new charges take effect on October 1.Meta stated, “For any solution provider or directly-integrated businesses that does not have a payment method on file by September 30, 2026, Meta will stop delivering service messages as of when they become charged on October 1, 2026. To avoid disruptions to your service messages, please add a payment method⁠ for your Messaging account(s) by September 30, 2026.”

How WhatsApp Business charges will work from October 1

From October 1, a non-template message will fall into one of two categories: Service or Meta Business Agent. Service messages will be charged per message, while Meta Business Agent messages will use a separate token-based pricing model. Meta says only one charge applies to each message and the same message will not be charged under both categories.

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Source: m.economictimes.com