WhatsApp Business API pricing in India, explained
Your WhatsApp bill has two parts: Meta's per-message charges and MsgClub's platform fee. This guide explains what Meta charges for, what is free, how volume tiers work, and how to estimate your monthly cost.
- Per-message model since July 2025
- Updated for the 1 October 2026 change
- No charge for failed messages
How is WhatsApp Business API pricing calculated?
Meta charges WhatsApp Business API users per delivered message. Marketing, utility and authentication templates each have a per-country rate. Since 1 October 2026, service replies in the 24-hour window are free up to 1,000 per number each month, then charged, and utility templates are charged even inside the window. Providers add a platform fee.
Updated
WhatsApp pricing at a glance
- Pricing model
- Per delivered message, since 1 July 2025
- Charged categories
- Marketing, utility and authentication templates; service replies above the free allowance
- Free allowance
- 1,000 service messages per business number a month (since 1 October 2026)
- Rates set by
- Meta, per country, in its published rate card
- Volume discounts
- Tiers for utility and authentication, reset monthly
- MsgClub
- Platform fee, quoted on volume and agents
What does Meta charge for?
On 1 July 2025 Meta replaced conversation-based pricing with per-message pricing. On 1 October 2026 it started charging for service messages above a monthly free allowance and for utility templates inside the customer service window. You pay for each delivered message at the rate for its category and the customer's country.
| Message type | Typical use | Outside the 24-hour window | Inside the 24-hour window |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marketing template | Offers, launches, cart reminders | Charged at the marketing rate | Charged at the marketing rate |
| Utility template | Order, delivery, payment and appointment updates | Charged at the utility rate | Charged at the utility rate (since 1 October 2026) |
| Authentication template | OTPs for login and payments | Charged at the authentication rate | Charged at the authentication rate |
| Service message | Free-form replies to a customer | Not allowed | First 1,000 a month per number free, then charged per delivered message |
Messages sent within a free entry point window (up to 7 days for ads, 72 hours for a Page button), opened when a customer comes from a Click-to-WhatsApp ad or a Facebook page button and you reply within 24 hours, are not charged, templates included. Some countries also have a separate authentication-international rate when OTPs go to numbers in another country. These rules are from Meta's WhatsApp pricing documentation; check Meta's rate card for the current rates for India.
How do volume tiers work?
Utility and authentication templates get cheaper as your monthly volume in a country grows. Meta sets the thresholds and the discounted rates.
- Volume is added up across all WhatsApp accounts in your business portfolio, per country and category
- Tiers reset at the start of each month
- Messages Meta does not charge for do not count towards a tier
- Marketing templates have no volume tiers
When can Meta change rates?
Meta updates its rate card only on set dates (1 January, 1 April, 1 July or 1 October) and gives at least a month's notice. Meta has also been introducing billing in local currencies, including for eligible businesses in India. When Meta's rates change, the Meta part of your bill changes with them.
How do you estimate your monthly WhatsApp bill?
Count your expected messages by type, multiply each by Meta's rate for India from the rate card, and add the platform fee. Here is a worked example for an online store, with letters in place of rates.
| Messages in a month | Count | Meta rate | Meta charge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Festive offer to opted-in customers (marketing) | 20,000 | M (marketing rate) | M × 20,000 |
| Order and shipping updates, outside the window (utility) | 15,000 | U (utility rate) | U × 15,000 |
| Delivery updates while the customer is chatting (utility) | 6,000 | U (utility rate) | U × 6,000 |
| Login OTPs (authentication) | 30,000 | A (authentication rate, after any tier discount) | A × 30,000 |
| Agent and bot replies to customers (service), first 1,000 free | 9,000 | S (service rate) | S × 8,000 |
| MsgClub platform fee | 1 month | As per your plan | Platform fee |
How can you lower your WhatsApp bill?
What does the MsgClub platform fee include?
- Onboarding to the WhatsApp Business API and template approval help
- Broadcasts, scheduling, contact groups and campaign reports
- Team inbox with agents on the web panel and mobile app
- No-code chatbot builder
- WhatsApp API, webhooks and integrations
- Support Monday to Saturday, 10 am to 7 pm IST
Frequently asked questions
Is the WhatsApp Business API free?
No. Setting up the API and receiving messages cost nothing from Meta, but Meta charges for each delivered template message and, since 1 October 2026, for service replies beyond 1,000 per business number each month. Providers such as MsgClub also charge a platform fee for the dashboard, inbox, chatbot and API.
What is the price of one WhatsApp marketing message in India?
Meta publishes the per-message rate for marketing, utility and authentication templates for each country in its rate card, and India has its own rates. Rates change only on dates Meta announces in advance. Ask MsgClub sales for a quote based on your expected volume by category.
Are WhatsApp service messages still free?
Partly. Since 1 October 2026, under Meta's current pricing, each business phone number gets 1,000 free service messages a month; after that Meta charges per delivered service message. Utility templates are now charged even inside the 24-hour window. Check Meta's rate card for the current India rates.
What are WhatsApp volume tiers?
Volume tiers give lower per-message rates for utility and authentication templates once your monthly volume in a country passes thresholds Meta sets. Volume is counted across all WhatsApp accounts in your business portfolio and resets every month. Messages Meta does not charge for do not count towards tiers. Marketing templates have no volume tiers.
What is the free entry point window?
When a customer messages you from a Click-to-WhatsApp ad or a Facebook page call-to-action button and you reply within 24 hours, Meta opens a free entry point window: up to 7 days for Click-to-WhatsApp ads (since 21 September 2026) and 72 hours for a Facebook Page button. Under Meta's current pricing, messages you send in that window, including templates, are not charged.
What does MsgClub charge on top of Meta?
MsgClub charges a platform fee for the WhatsApp dashboard, team inbox, chatbot builder, broadcasts, reports and API access. The fee depends on your monthly volume and the number of agents. Contact sales for a quote based on your expected messages by category.
Am I charged for failed WhatsApp messages?
No. Meta charges per delivered message, so messages that fail to deliver, for example because the number is not on WhatsApp, are not charged by Meta. Your MsgClub report shows failed messages with the reason.
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