Send utility, not marketing, where it fits
Order and delivery updates are utility messages and cost about a seventh of a marketing message in India. Don’t put promotions inside them, or Meta may re-categorise the template.
Free tool · Updated for 1 October 2026
WhatsApp API pricing calculator
Estimate your monthly WhatsApp Business API bill. Choose where your customers are, enter how many messages you send in each category, and see Meta’s charges in rupees or dollars.
- 48 markets
- INR and USD
- Meta’s latest rate card
Estimate your monthly cost
How WhatsApp charges per message
Since 1 July 2025 Meta charges for each delivered template message instead of each 24-hour conversation. The price depends on two things: the category of the message and the country code of the person receiving it.
- Marketing: offers, product launches, abandoned cart reminders, newsletters. The most expensive category.
- Utility: order confirmations, shipping and delivery updates, payment receipts.
- Authentication: one-time passwords for login and checkout.
- Service: your free-form replies inside the 24-hour customer service window. From 1 October 2026 these are charged at the utility rate after the first 1,000 a month per number.
Meta only changes rates on 1 January, 1 April, 1 July or 1 October, and announces changes in advance. Read the full breakdown in our guide to WhatsApp API pricing in India.
Ways to lower your WhatsApp bill
Use click-to-WhatsApp ads
Conversations that start from a click-to-WhatsApp ad are free for up to 7 days, including marketing messages you send in that window.
Segment your broadcasts
Sending to buyers who opened or clicked recently costs less and gets fewer blocks than blasting your whole list.
Frequently asked questions
How much does the WhatsApp Business API cost per message in India?
From 1 October 2026 Meta’s list rates for Indian numbers are ₹0.8631 per marketing message and ₹0.115 per utility, authentication or service message. India-based businesses are being moved to INR billing by 31 December 2026.
Are service messages free?
Not fully any more. From 1 October 2026 Meta charges service messages at the utility rate, but the first 1,000 service messages each month on each business phone number are free. Chats that start from a click-to-WhatsApp ad or Facebook Page button stay free for up to 7 days.
Why do providers charge more than these rates?
Many WhatsApp tools add a markup per message on top of Meta’s rate. Compare the per-message price a provider quotes with the list rate here to see the markup.
Do volume discounts apply?
Meta gives tiered volume discounts on utility and authentication messages once you send large volumes in a market. This calculator uses list rates, so very large senders will pay a little less. Marketing messages have no volume tiers.
Does this include my Hello24 plan?
No. It shows Meta’s charges only. Hello24 plans start at ₹3,000 / $40 a month and include 5,000 outbound messages a month on the Growth plan; Meta’s charges are billed on top.
Send WhatsApp campaigns that pay for themselves
- Shopify & WooCommerce
- No setup charges
- 1:1 onboarding