If your team replies to customers on WhatsApp through an API platform, your bill changed on 1 October 2026. Meta stopped treating customer-service replies as unlimited and free, and started charging for utility messages that used to cost nothing inside the 24-hour window.
The headline number most people are repeating is "12 paise per reply". The exact figure is ₹0.115 per message before GST — about 11.5 paise, or roughly 13.6 paise once 18% GST is added.
This post covers what changed, who pays, and the three things worth doing this week. For the full rate card and how to forecast a monthly bill, see our WhatsApp Business API pricing guide.
What changed on 1 October 2026
| Message type | Until 30 Sep 2026 | From 1 Oct 2026 (India, pre-GST) |
|---|---|---|
| Service replies (your free-form replies to a customer) | Free and unlimited | 1,000 free per number per month, then ₹0.115 each |
| Utility templates inside the 24-hour window | Free | ₹0.115 per delivered message |
| Utility templates outside the window | Charged | ₹0.115 per delivered message |
| Authentication (OTP) | Charged | ₹0.115 per delivered message |
| Marketing templates | Charged | ₹0.8631 per delivered message |
Rates are per delivered message, billed by Meta, and GST at 18% is added on top. The change was reported on 29 September 2026 and took effect on 1 October.
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Start free See the demoWhat is still free
- Messages customers send you. Inbound messages never cost the business anything.
- The first 1,000 service replies per business phone number per calendar month.
- The 72-hour free entry point window when a customer messages you from a Click-to-WhatsApp ad or a Facebook call-to-action button, provided you reply within the first 24 hours. See our Click-to-WhatsApp ads guide.
Who this hits hardest
Support-heavy businesses. A thousand free replies a month is about 33 a day. A single support agent can send that before lunch. A team of five handling a few hundred chats a day will cross the free tier in the first week of the month.
Businesses that send many order and delivery updates. E-commerce, D2C brands, logistics, clinics sending appointment reminders, schools sending fee reminders. These were often sent as utility messages inside an open window precisely because they were free. They are not any more.
Anyone without a payment method on file. Reports say Meta will stop delivering service messages for accounts that have no valid payment method once charges apply. If your provider bills you, check that their Meta account is set up; if you are on direct integration, check your own.
A quick cost example
A coaching institute replies to 6,000 parent and student queries a month and sends 4,000 fee and class reminders as utility messages.
- Service replies: 6,000 − 1,000 free = 5,000 × ₹0.115 = ₹575
- Utility messages: 4,000 × ₹0.115 = ₹460
- Subtotal: ₹1,035, plus 18% GST = about ₹1,221 a month
That is not ruinous. What hurts is not knowing it is coming, or a platform that adds its own margin per message on top of Meta's rate. Ask your provider for the per-message markup in writing.
What to do this week
- Check your provider's invoice for October. Look for separate lines for service, utility, marketing and authentication messages, and for any platform markup per message.
- Count your monthly replies per phone number. If you are close to 1,000, you may stay inside the free tier. If you are far above it, model the cost now rather than at month-end. Our guide on how the 1,000 free service messages work explains the counting.
- Stop sending low-value utility messages. A "your order has been packed" message followed by "your order has shipped" and "your order is out for delivery" is three charges. Combine where it does not hurt the customer.
- Recheck template categories. Utility (₹0.115) is far cheaper than marketing (₹0.8631). A template that Meta classifies as marketing costs about 7.5 times more. See utility vs marketing templates.
Bottom line
The change is small per message and real at volume. Businesses that reply to customers a lot should expect a new, recurring line on their bill and should know their reply count per number. If you want one dashboard for WhatsApp conversations, templates and message costs alongside your CRM, that is what MizUp's WhatsApp module is built for.
Sources: Business Standard, NewsBytes, The CSR Journal and Convergence reports of 29 Sep - 1 Oct 2026 on Meta's revised India pricing. Rates are pre-GST and may change; check Meta's current rate card before budgeting.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a WhatsApp Business reply cost from 1 October 2026?
After the first 1,000 service replies in a month on a business phone number, each reply costs ₹0.115 before GST, which is roughly 12 paise. With 18% GST it is about 13.6 paise.
Are the first 1,000 replies still free?
Yes. Each business phone number gets 1,000 free service replies per calendar month. Unused free replies do not carry over to the next month.
Are utility messages like order updates still free inside the 24-hour window?
No. From 1 October 2026, utility messages are charged at ₹0.115 per delivered message in India, even when sent inside the 24-hour customer service window.
Does this affect the normal WhatsApp Business app?
No. The change applies to the WhatsApp Business Platform (the API), used directly or through a provider. The free WhatsApp Business app on a phone is not affected.
Do customers pay anything?
No. Customers can still message businesses free of charge. The charges are billed to the business.
