WhatsApp Business API pricing in India: what Meta charges per message
As on 17 September 2026, Meta charges Indian recipients per delivered template message: ₹0.8631 for marketing and ₹0.1150 for utility or authentication, from its INR rate card effective 1 July 2026. Non-template replies and utility templates inside the 24-hour customer service window are free until 30 September 2026. From 1 October 2026 Meta will charge for both. On Convo360 you pay Meta directly, with no markup.
Prices as on 17 September 2026. Figures were checked against the provider's official pages on that date. Providers change prices and rules without notice, so confirm on the official page before you budget. Convo360 adds no markup: you pay the provider directly with your own account. Convo360 is not affiliated with Meta or WhatsApp. WhatsApp and Meta are trademarks of their owners. Rates are Meta's published figures on the date shown and can change.
- Meta bills per delivered message, by template category and by the recipient's country code, not per conversation.
- Meta's INR rate card effective 1 July 2026 lists India at 0.8631 for marketing and 0.1150 for utility and authentication.
- Until 30 September 2026, replies inside the 24-hour window and utility templates sent in that window are not charged.
- From 1 October 2026 Meta will charge service messages at 0.115 INR for India, after 1,000 free per number each month.
- With Convo360 the number is yours, Meta bills your account directly and the platform adds no per-message fee.
What Meta charges in India, as on 17 September 2026
Meta moved the WhatsApp Business Platform from conversation-based pricing to per-message pricing on 1 July 2025. You are charged when a template message is delivered, and the rate depends on the template's category and the country calling code of the person receiving it. For customers with +91 numbers, the India row of the rate card applies.
These figures are read from Meta's own INR rate card, which is headed "effective July 1, 2026" and is linked from Meta's pricing page. We opened it on 17 September 2026.
| Message category (recipient in India) | Meta's rate per delivered message |
|---|---|
| Marketing template | INR 0.8631 |
| Utility template | INR 0.1150 |
| Authentication template | INR 0.1150 |
| Authentication-international | INR 2.4971 |
| Service (non-template reply) | Not charged until 30 September 2026 |
The authentication-international rate is for businesses based outside India that send very large OTP volumes to Indian users. Meta says a business based in India is billed the normal authentication rate for Indian recipients.
The rate card does not say whether GST is included, so we do not state it here. Check the tax lines on your own Meta invoice.
What is free today, and what changes on 1 October 2026
Meta has announced two changes that take effect on 1 October 2026. Anyone budgeting for the festive season should plan with both columns.
| Message | Until 30 September 2026 | From 1 October 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Replies (text, image, buttons) inside the 24-hour customer service window | Free | Charged as service messages at the utility rate for the market (India: INR 0.115), after 1,000 free service messages per business phone number per month |
| Utility template inside an open window | Free | Charged at the utility rate |
| Utility or authentication template outside the window | Charged | Charged |
| Marketing template, any time | Charged | Charged |
| Any message inside an open free entry point window (up to 7 days) | Free | Free |
A free entry point window opens when someone messages you from a Click to WhatsApp ad (on the WhatsApp phone app) and you reply within 24 hours. Meta then charges nothing while the window is open, templates included; Meta's pricing page says the window may remain open for up to 7 days. Our Click to WhatsApp explainer covers the setup.
Meta counts replies written by a person or by a third-party AI assistant as service messages. The unused part of the 1,000 free messages does not carry forward. Meta also says that without a payment method on the WhatsApp Business Account, service messages beyond the free tier will not be delivered, so add one before 30 September 2026.
What exactly you are billed for
- Delivered, not sent. A template that fails or is never delivered is not charged.
- The category at the time of use. If Meta has re-categorised a utility template as marketing, you pay the marketing rate. The rules are in our template categories guide.
- The recipient's country code. A message to a Dubai number is billed at the UAE rate even if your business is in Pune.
- One charge per message. Three marketing templates to the same person mean three charges.
Meta also publishes volume tiers for utility and authentication only. For India the list rate applies up to 2,50,00,000 utility messages or 7,50,000 authentication messages a month, counted across your whole business portfolio. Above that the rate steps down, from 6% lower to 30% lower at the top tier. Marketing and service messages have no tiers.
Meta may revise rates only on 1 January, 1 April, 1 July and 1 October. India's marketing rate went up on 1 January 2026, so re-check the rate card each quarter. Accounts whose Sold-To country is India must also move every WhatsApp Business Account to INR billing by 31 December 2026. Meta says it will stop delivering messages from non-INR accounts of eligible customers from 1 January 2027.
A worked monthly example with a formula
The formula is simple:
Monthly Meta bill = (marketing delivered × 0.8631) + (utility charged × 0.1150) + (authentication delivered × 0.1150) + (service messages above 1,000 per number × 0.115, from 1 October 2026)
The volumes below are ILLUSTRATIVE. Picture a Jaipur clothing store with one number. Replace them with your own.
| Item | Volume (illustrative) | Until 30 Sept 2026 | From 1 Oct 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marketing templates | 4,000 | ₹3,452.40 | ₹3,452.40 |
| Utility templates outside the window | 6,000 | ₹690.00 | ₹690.00 |
| Utility templates inside the window | 2,000 | ₹0 | ₹230.00 |
| Authentication templates | 1,500 | ₹172.50 | ₹172.50 |
| Chatbot and agent replies inside the window | 20,000 | ₹0 | ₹2,185.00 (19,000 charged) |
| Total paid to Meta | ₹4,314.90 | ₹6,729.90 |
Two lessons stand out. Marketing is the largest line at about 7.5 times the utility rate. From October, a chatty bot that sends five short replies where one would do has a real cost. For the full stack including AI and software, see our monthly cost worked example.
How you pay Meta when your number is on Convo360
Convo360 is a bring-your-own-keys platform. You connect your own WhatsApp Business Account under Channels using Meta's embedded signup. You add your card or other payment method in Meta's Billing Hub, and Meta raises the invoice to you.
Convo360 does not resell messages and adds zero markup on messages, minutes or AI tokens. Its own charge is the flat plan fee of ₹999, ₹2,999 or ₹7,999 a month, excluding 18% GST, shown on the pricing section. Convo360 is not affiliated with Meta or WhatsApp.
Inside WhatsApp Studio every template shows its category, so you know which rate a Send Template block or a broadcast will trigger before it goes out. The Manage panel for the number shows its messaging limit and quality. Those are explained in our guide to messaging limits and tiers.
Ways to reduce the WhatsApp bill
- Keep utility messages truly utility. An order update with a discount line is a marketing message in Meta's guidelines, and marketing costs far more. Follow the template approval guide.
- Use click-to-WhatsApp entry points. Conversations that start from your Click to WhatsApp ads get a free window of up to 7 days with no Meta charge, even after October.
- Write fewer, fuller replies. Set your AI agent's prompt to answer in one message rather than three. From October every delivered reply beyond the free 1,000 counts.
- Send marketing only to people who opted in and engage. Undelivered templates are not billed, but poor lists hurt your quality rating and get templates paused.
- Segment before you broadcast. A marketing template to 2,000 likely buyers costs less than half of one sent to a full list of 5,000.
For how the model came about and what a "conversation" means now, read WhatsApp conversation pricing explained. The rule changes beyond price are in new WhatsApp Business rules.
Example conversation
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Frequently asked questions
What is the WhatsApp Business API price per message in India?
Meta's INR rate card effective 1 July 2026, read on 17 September 2026, lists India at 0.8631 per marketing template and 0.1150 per utility or authentication template. Rates can change on the first day of any quarter, so confirm on Meta's pricing page before budgeting.
Is there a free tier on the WhatsApp Business API?
Until 30 September 2026, all non-template replies inside the 24-hour customer service window are free. From 1 October 2026 Meta gives each business phone number 1,000 free service messages a month and charges the rest. The free entry point window from Click to WhatsApp ads (up to 7 days) stays free.
Is GST extra on Meta's WhatsApp charges?
Meta's rate card does not state whether GST is included, and we could not verify it from a public official page, so we do not claim either way. Look at the tax lines on your Meta invoice in Billing Hub. Convo360's own plan prices exclude 18% GST.
Does Convo360 add a markup on WhatsApp messages?
No. You connect your own WhatsApp Business Account, add your payment method with Meta, and Meta bills you at its published rates. Convo360 charges only its flat monthly plan and adds zero markup on messages, minutes or AI tokens.
Are chatbot replies on WhatsApp free?
As on 17 September 2026, yes, when sent inside the 24-hour customer service window. Meta has announced that from 1 October 2026 these service messages will be charged at the utility rate for the market, which is INR 0.115 for India, after 1,000 free per number each month.
Does WhatsApp still charge per conversation?
No. Meta states that conversation-based pricing is deprecated and was replaced with per-message pricing on 1 July 2025. Each delivered template is charged separately according to its category and the recipient's country code, rather than once per 24-hour conversation.
Official sources
- Meta: Pricing on the WhatsApp Business Platform (rate cards, volume tiers, free entry points)
- Meta: Upcoming pricing updates for service and utility messages (1 October 2026)
- WhatsApp Business: Platform pricing
- Meta: Authentication-international rates
- Meta: Template categorization guidelines
Related reading
Available across India — see WhatsApp & AI calling automation by state and city.