GUIDE
WhatsApp Business API pricing in India (2026)
What Meta charges per message, what changed on 1 October 2026, what providers add on top, and what a typical month costs.
On this page
In India, Meta charges ₹0.8631 for each marketing message and ₹0.115 for each utility or authentication message that gets delivered. Since 1 October 2026, your replies inside the 24-hour customer service window also cost ₹0.115 each, after the first 1,000 a month for each WhatsApp number. Your provider’s platform fee and 18% GST come on top.
How Meta charges for WhatsApp messages
The WhatsApp Business API, officially called the WhatsApp Business Platform, is paid per delivered message. Meta sets the price by the type of message and the country of the person receiving it. Messages that aren’t delivered aren’t charged, and Meta doesn’t charge you for messages customers send you.
- Marketing: offers, announcements, festive greetings and broadcasts.
- Utility: updates about something the customer already did, such as an order confirmation, a delivery update or an appointment reminder.
- Authentication: one-time passwords (OTPs) for logins and verification.
- Service: your free-form replies after a customer messages you, within 24 hours of their last message.
Marketing, utility and authentication messages are sent as pre-approved templates. Meta reviews each template and can change its category if the content doesn’t match.
Current rates in India
These are Meta’s rates for messages delivered to Indian (+91) numbers, before GST.
| Message type | Price per delivered message |
|---|---|
| Marketing | ₹0.8631 |
| Utility | ₹0.115 |
| Authentication (OTP) | ₹0.115 |
| Service reply, within 24 hours | First 1,000 a month free for each number, then ₹0.115 |
Meta updates its rate cards from time to time, so check the latest figures on Meta’s pricing page before you set a budget.
What changed on 1 October 2026
Two changes took effect, and both mostly affect businesses that chat with a lot of customers:
- Service replies are no longer completely free. Each WhatsApp number gets 1,000 free service messages a month. After that, each reply costs the same as a utility message, which is ₹0.115 in India. Unused free messages don’t carry over to the next month.
- Utility templates sent during an open chat are charged again. Before this change, they were free inside the 24-hour window.
India’s per-message rates didn’t change on that date. The extra cost comes from messages that used to be free.
What’s still free
- The first 1,000 service replies each month, for each WhatsApp number.
- Conversations that start when someone taps your click-to-WhatsApp ad or the WhatsApp button on your Facebook Page. Meta gives these a free window of at least 72 hours, during which your messages aren’t charged.
- Messages that fail to deliver.
- Messages your customers send you.
What your provider adds
Most businesses use the API through a provider, called a Business Solution Provider or BSP, that gives you the team inbox, broadcasts and chatbot tools. That adds a second layer of cost:
- Platform fee. Small-business plans commonly start at around ₹1,500 a month. More users, chatbots or AI features cost more.
- Message margin. Meta’s rate is the same for everyone, but most providers add their own margin to each message. Ask for their per-message rates in writing and compare them with Meta’s.
- Setup. Some providers charge to set up your account and templates, and others include it.
18% GST applies to both the platform fee and Meta’s message charges. If your business is GST-registered, ask for a proper GST invoice so you can claim input tax credit.
Example: what a typical month costs
Say a clinic uses one WhatsApp number. In a month it sends:
| Messages | Working | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| 2,000 marketing messages about a health camp | 2,000 × ₹0.8631 | ₹1,726.20 |
| 3,000 utility messages for appointment reminders | 3,000 × ₹0.115 | ₹345 |
| 4,000 service replies | First 1,000 free, then 3,000 × ₹0.115 | ₹345 |
| Meta’s charges | ₹2,416.20 | |
| GST on Meta’s charges | 18% | ₹434.92 |
| Provider platform fee, as an example | ₹2,500 + 18% GST | ₹2,950 |
| Total for the month | ₹5,801.12 |
Marketing messages make up most of Meta’s charges here, so the size of your broadcast list matters far more than how much you chat with customers.
How to keep the bill down
- Only message people who opted in. They’re more likely to read your messages and less likely to block or report you, which protects your number’s quality rating.
- Use utility templates for genuine updates. Order and appointment updates cost far less than marketing messages. Meta will treat a template as marketing if it promotes something, so keep updates and offers separate.
- Bring people in through click-to-WhatsApp ads or your Facebook Page button to get the free window.
- Clean your broadcast list. Remove numbers that never open or reply.
- Compare providers on total cost, not just the monthly fee. A cheap plan with a high margin on every message can cost more over a year.
Questions people ask
Is the WhatsApp Business API free in India?
No. Meta charges for each marketing, utility and authentication message that’s delivered. Your replies within 24 hours are free for the first 1,000 a month for each number, then cost ₹0.115 each. The WhatsApp Business app on your phone is free, but it can’t connect to a CRM or send automated messages at scale.
How much does one WhatsApp marketing message cost in India?
₹0.8631 for each message delivered to an Indian number, plus 18% GST and any margin your provider adds.
Do I pay for messages that aren’t delivered?
No. Meta only charges for messages that are delivered.
Who decides whether a message is marketing or utility?
Meta does, when it reviews your template. A template that mixes an update with an offer is treated as marketing.
What does Workflow Decoded charge to set this up?
Our WhatsApp API Setup starts at ₹10,000 one-time, plus GST. You pay Meta and your provider directly from your own accounts, and we never add a margin to your messages. See our pricing.
Sources
- Meta: WhatsApp Business Platform pricing
- respond.io: WhatsApp pricing change 2026
- DEV Community: WhatsApp Business Platform pricing in rupees, and the two things that change on 1 October 2026
- Go4whatsup: WhatsApp Business API pricing in India
Prices checked on 1 November 2026. Providers change their prices often, so confirm current rates before you buy. This guide is general information, not financial or tax advice.
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