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WhatsApp Business API pricing in India: 2026 calculator
Meta charges per message: ₹0.8631 for a marketing message and ₹0.115 for a utility message, login code or reply in India, from 1 October 2026. The first 1,000 replies each month on each number are free.
Estimated monthly bill
₹0
₹0 a year
| Marketing | ₹0 |
| Utility | ₹0 |
| Login codes | ₹0 |
| Replies | ₹0 |
| Provider fee | ₹0 |
| GST at 18% | ₹0 |
| Total | ₹0 |
Meta’s India rates in rupees, effective 1 October 2026: marketing ₹0.8631, utility ₹0.115, login codes ₹0.115 and replies ₹0.115 a message after the first 1,000 replies each month on each number. Messages inside Meta’s free window after someone messages you from a Click-to-WhatsApp ad cost nothing, so a real bill can be lower. Source: Meta’s pricing page and India rate card.
A provider’s quote mixes two bills together
If you have compared WhatsApp API quotes, you have probably noticed they rarely look alike. That is because there are two bills inside them. One is Meta’s charge for each message. The other is whatever the provider adds for the inbox, the broadcast tool and support. Most quotes show one number, so it is hard to tell which part is Meta and which part is the provider.
So we built this from Meta’s own India rate card, in rupees, downloaded on 4 November 2026. Put in roughly how many messages you send, add your provider’s fee if you have one, and you will see what Meta will charge you. Below I explain each message type, what is free, and what changed on 1 October 2026.
WhatsApp API rates in India by message type
| Message type | What it’s for | Rate in India | 5,000 messages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marketing | Offers, launches, cart reminders, festive greetings | ₹0.8631 | ₹4,315.50 |
| Utility | Order and delivery updates, booking confirmations, payment receipts | ₹0.115 | ₹575 |
| Authentication | One-time passwords and login codes | ₹0.115 | ₹575 |
| Service | Free-form replies within 24 hours of a customer’s message | First 1,000 a month free on each number, then ₹0.115 | ₹460 on one number |
| Authentication-international | Login codes to Indian users from businesses based outside India | ₹2.4971 | ₹12,485.50 |
Source: Meta’s India rate card in rupees, effective 1 October 2026, linked from Meta’s WhatsApp pricing page. Rates are before tax.
What does Meta not charge for?
Two things are free: up to 7 days of messages after someone contacts you from a Click-to-WhatsApp ad and you reply, and the first 1,000 replies each month on each business number. Messages customers send you are never charged.
The free window after a Click-to-WhatsApp ad
When someone taps a Click-to-WhatsApp ad on Facebook or Instagram and messages you from the WhatsApp phone app, and you reply within the service window, Meta opens a free window that may stay open for up to 7 days. Marketing, utility, login and reply messages to that person cost nothing in it. It’s one reason Click-to-WhatsApp ads work so well for service businesses.
1,000 free replies a month
Each business number gets 1,000 free service messages a month. They don’t roll over, and Meta charges from the 1,001st reply.
Volume discounts
Only utility and login messages get them, and only at very high volume. In India the discount starts after 2.5 crore utility messages a month and goes up to 30%.
What changed in WhatsApp pricing on 1 October 2026?
- Replies are no longer unlimited and free. Service messages were free until 30 September 2026. Now each number gets 1,000 free a month, then ₹0.115 each.
- Utility messages inside the reply window are charged. An order update sent while the customer’s 24-hour window was open used to be free. From 1 October it is charged at the utility rate.
- Billing in rupees. Since 1 January 2026, eligible Indian businesses can be billed in INR, and Meta asks them to move all accounts to INR by 31 December 2026.
Meta changes prices only on the first day of a quarter, with at least a month’s notice. We check the rate card at the start of each quarter and update this calculator when it changes.
Questions to ask a WhatsApp API provider
Meta’s list rates are the same whoever you buy from. What differs is the provider’s fee, any markup on messages, and who owns the account.
- What is your monthly fee, and what does it include?
- Do you add a markup to Meta’s per-message rates, or pass them through at cost?
- Is the WhatsApp Business account in my name, so I keep it if I leave?
- Can I export my contacts and chat history?
- Who writes the message templates and submits them for approval?
WhatsApp API pricing: straight answers
How much does the WhatsApp Business API cost in India?
Meta charges per message: ₹0.8631 for marketing, ₹0.115 for utility, ₹0.115 for login codes and ₹0.115 for replies after the first 1,000 a month on each number, from 1 October 2026. Your provider’s fee is extra.
Is the WhatsApp Business API free?
No, but parts of it are. The first 1,000 replies a month on each number are free, messages customers send you are free, and messages in the free window after a Click-to-WhatsApp ad cost nothing.
Is GST charged on WhatsApp API messages?
Meta’s rate card is before tax, so expect GST on your invoice. The calculator adds 18% by default; untick the box to see the figure before tax.
What is the difference between marketing and utility messages?
Marketing messages promote something, such as an offer or a launch. Utility messages are about something the customer already did, such as an order, a booking or a payment. Meta sets the category when it reviews your template, and in India a marketing message costs 7.5 times a utility message.
Do volume discounts apply in India?
Only for utility and login messages, and only at very high volume. The discount starts after 2.5 crore utility messages a month and goes up to 30%.
Is the WhatsApp Business app free?
Yes. The WhatsApp Business app on your phone is free. Per-message charges apply only to the WhatsApp Business Platform, also called the API.
Want WhatsApp to bring in leads, not just bills?
If you’re about to sign up for the API, message me what you plan to send and to how many people. I’ll tell you honestly whether you need it yet. Leo
