What's New in WhatsApp Business Platform (API) Pricing

Meta is updating the pricing model for messages sent through the WhatsApp Business Platform. This page covers what's new for service messages, Utility templates and Click-to-Message ads, and how you can prepare for these changes.

Key Date

Updated: September 2026 · Effective: October 1, 2026

What's Changing in Brief

• From October 1, 2026, service messages sent within the 24-hour customer service window will start being charged per message.
• Service message prices may differ by country and region.
• From the same date, Utility templates sent within the 24-hour window will be chargeable again.
• Meta Business Agent messages are charged under a separate, token-based pricing model.
• The free messaging period for conversations that start from Click-to-Message ads will soon be extended to 7 days.
• The changes only apply to businesses using the WhatsApp Business Platform (API). The standard WhatsApp app and the WhatsApp Business app without an API connection are not affected.

Who Does This Change Apply To?

These changes apply to businesses using WhatsApp through:

• WhatsApp API via a solution partner (BSP), including HeloRobo
• WhatsApp Business Platform API
• On-Premises API

The standard WhatsApp app and the WhatsApp Business app used without an API connection are not affected.

Before and After by Message Type

Message Type	Before	From October 1, 2026
Service messages	Free since November 2024	Charged per message
Utility templates within the 24-hour window	Free since July 2025	Charged per message
Authentication templates	Charged	No change
Meta Business Agent	Token-based since August 1, 2026	No change

Timeline of Changes

Date	Change
August 1, 2026	Token-based pricing started for Meta Business Agent.
October 1, 2026	Service messages start being charged per message.
October 1, 2026	Utility templates within the 24-hour window become chargeable again.
Coming soon	The free entry window for Click-to-Message conversations extends to 7 days.

1. Service Messages Now Come With a Price

Service messages, free since November 2024, will start being charged on October 1, 2026. After that date, each service message sent within the 24-hour customer service window will be billed separately.

Which messages count as service messages?

A service message is a free-text message written without an approved template, sent within an open 24-hour window with the customer. For a message to count as a service message, it must be:

• Sent within the 24-hour customer service window,
• Written as free text,
• Not an approved template,
• Sent by an agent, chatbot or AI.

Service messages can be sent by:

• HeloBot AI
• Agents
• Chatbots and Thinker flows
• Other AI tools

Sample service messages

• If you share your order number, I can check it right away.
• Your return request has been approved; the amount will be refunded to your card within 3 business days.
• I've passed your request to the relevant team; they'll get back to you shortly.
• Could you let me know which size you'd like stock information for?

1,000 free messages every month

Meta gives every WhatsApp Business account 1,000 free service messages per month. Once this allowance is used up, further service messages are charged at the rate for the relevant country/region.

NOTE:

The free allowance covers only service messages. Utility, Marketing and Authentication templates are excluded.

How is the cost calculated?

Service messages will be charged per message. The unit price will be the same as the Utility template message price in the relevant market and may vary by country or region.

No volume discounts apply to service messages. Whether you send 100 or 10,000 messages, the unit price stays the same:

Total cost = Messages sent × Unit price

2. A 7-Day Free Window for Conversations From Ads

For conversations that start from Click-to-Message ads, the free entry window is being extended to 7 days. This lets businesses keep messaging customers who reached them through an ad for free for longer. The date this takes effect has not been announced yet.

Entry points covered:

• Facebook Call-to-Action buttons
• Click-to-WhatsApp ads
• Other supported Click-to-Message entry points

NOTE:

The 7-day free window does not cover separate charges arising from Meta Business Agent usage.

3. The Free Period for Utility Templates Ends

Utility templates sent within the 24-hour customer service window:

• Were free between July 2025 and September 2026,
• Will be charged again from October 1, 2026,
• Will be priced at Meta's Utility message rate for the relevant market.

What Falls Outside Service Messages

Incoming customer messages

Messages customers send to the business are free. Charges apply only to messages sent by the business: there is no charge for the incoming message, but the business's replies to it may be charged.

Meta Business Agent replies

Meta Business Agent messages are not treated as service messages; since August 1, 2026 they have been charged per token. The number of tokens used depends on the complexity of the reply: short, simple replies use fewer tokens and detailed ones use more.

Feature	Meta Business Agent	Service Message
Sender	Meta's built-in AI assistant	Agent, chatbot, HeloBot or other AI tools
Pricing	Per token	Per message
Start date	August 1, 2026	October 1, 2026

The two models are independent; a message is never charged twice as both a service message and a Meta Business Agent message.

Authentication templates

Authentication templates continue with their current pricing model.

How Are Customer Support Costs Affected?

Once the free allowance is used up, every service message sent adds to the business's WhatsApp costs. For example, imagine an agent sends these messages to handle a return request:

1. Greeting
2. Asking for the order number
3. Confirming the order has been checked
4. Explaining the return process
5. Sharing the return shipping code

These 5 free-text messages, which used to be free, may each be charged separately after October 1, 2026 once the free allowance is exceeded. The effect becomes more noticeable in conversations where short messages are sent one after another.

The e-commerce side

• Free-text support messages: Free-text replies in the same conversation will be charged as service messages.
• Utility messages: Utility templates such as order, payment and shipping notifications will be chargeable again within the 24-hour window.

Businesses with heavy messaging around orders, payments, shipping, delivery and support will benefit from reviewing both their template usage and their free-text messages.

What Should HeloRobo Users Watch Out For?

From October 1, 2026, every free-text reply sent to a customer by an agent, chatbot or AI may incur a cost once the monthly allowance of 1,000 free service messages is used up. This makes it important to optimize message counts in:

• Agent messages
• Multi-message customer conversations
• HeloBot AI replies
• Chatbot and Thinker flow messages
• Order and shipping conversations

Recommendation

Sending one complete message instead of 4-5 short messages in reply to a customer question is the most efficient approach under per-message pricing.

Tips for Keeping Costs Under Control

Leave routine questions to HeloBot

Recurring questions such as When will my order arrive?, How does the return process work?, Is this item in stock? or What are your service hours? can be answered automatically with HeloBot. Resolving routine questions with fewer messages helps lower the number of charged service messages.

Put the information in one message

Instead of splitting the same information across several messages, send one complete message whenever possible:

Your return request has been created.
Your return shipping code: XXXXXXXX.
Simply hand the item to the courier within 7 days.

The refund will be issued to your card once the item reaches our warehouse.

This way the customer gets what they need in one go and the number of chargeable messages goes down.

Send standard notifications as templates

For standard communication such as order updates, verification codes (OTP) and status notifications, you can use approved templates in the right category. See Create a WhatsApp Template Message to create one.

TIP

Utility and Authentication templates have their own pricing rules; keep this in mind when choosing a template category.

Use WhatsApp Flows for form details

Instead of asking for first name, last name, address, preferences or form details in separate messages, you can collect them on a single interactive screen with WhatsApp Flows.

Make the most of conversations from ads

With the free period extended to 7 days, you can plan your ad, customer acquisition, sales and support processes around the longer window. See Publishing Meta Ads to run an ad.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are messages written by customers charged too?

No. Charges apply only to messages sent by the business.

When does charging start?

From October 1, 2026, service messages sent within the 24-hour customer service window will be charged per message.

Do I get any free usage?

Yes. Each WhatsApp Business account gets 1,000 free service messages per month. This allowance does not cover Utility, Marketing or Authentication templates.

Is Meta Business Agent also charged per message?

No. Meta Business Agent is charged per token, while service messages are charged per message. A message is never charged under both models at once.

Does the unit price drop if I send more messages?

No. Service messages are charged per message at a fixed unit price equal to the Utility template price in the relevant market.

When does the 7-day ad window start?

The exact date has not been announced yet. We will update this page once it is confirmed.

We’re Here to Help

If you have any questions or need support, you can reach us through the channels below:

📧E-posta: support@helorobo.com

📞WhatsApp & Call Center: 0850 241 88 88