WhatsApp Business API pricing in India (2026): what Meta charges and what changed on 1 October
By the MeAPI team · · 2 min read
If you send WhatsApp messages from the official WhatsApp Business Platform (the Cloud API), two separate bills are involved: Meta’s per-message charges, paid to Meta, and the platform fee of whichever software you use to send them. This guide covers Meta’s side, as it applies in India from 1 October 2026.
Meta charges per delivered message
Meta charges for each delivered message a business sends, by category and by the recipient’s country. Messages customers send to you are never charged.
| Category | Used for | Indicative India rate |
|---|---|---|
| Marketing | Offers, launches, festive greetings, cart reminders | ₹0.8631 |
| Utility | Order updates, appointment reminders, receipts | ₹0.115 |
| Authentication | One-time passwords (OTPs) | ₹0.115 |
| Service | Free-form replies inside the 24-hour window | First 1,000 per number per month free, then charged |
These are Meta’s list rates for India at the time of writing; Meta publishes the current figures on its rate card, and volume tiers lower utility and authentication rates at high volume.
What changed on 1 October 2026
Two rules changed:
- Service messages are no longer unlimited and free. Each business phone number gets 1,000 free service messages a month. From the 1,001st, Meta charges them. The free allowance resets every month and does not carry over; two numbers means two free allowances.
- Utility templates are charged inside the 24-hour window too. Before, an order update sent while the customer’s window was open was free. Now it is charged like any other utility message.
Chats that start from a Click-to-WhatsApp ad still get Meta’s free entry-point window, during which Meta does not charge for your replies or templates.
A payment method is required
Add a card in WhatsApp Manager → Payment settings. Without one, templates fail, and Meta stops delivering service replies once the free 1,000 for the month are used.
Estimating your monthly bill
Multiply each category’s monthly volume by its rate, and subtract the free service messages:
- 5,000 marketing × ₹0.8631 = ₹4,316
- 2,000 utility × ₹0.115 = ₹230
- 3,000 service replies on one number: 1,000 free, 2,000 × service rate
Our Meta cost calculator does this for you, with editable rates and the free allowance per number.
The platform fee is separate
Your software provider’s price sits on top. Some providers add a mark-up to each Meta message; others pass Meta’s rates through. MeAPI adds no mark-up: Meta bills you directly, and MeAPI’s plan is a flat yearly price in rupees (current prices), with a Separate Inbox for Each Number and every agent on their own login. See how platforms compare.