On 1 October 2026, Meta started charging again for service messages on the WhatsApp Business Platform, the API used by most support tools and chatbots. Meta’s pricing documentation says service messages had been free since 1 November 2024. The change applies in all markets, including India and the UAE. It does not affect the free WhatsApp Business app used from a phone.
What changes
- Each business phone number gets 1,000 delivered service messages a month free. Charges start from the 1,001st. Unused messages do not carry over, and the count resets monthly in the timezone of the messaging account.
- If no payment method is on file, Meta delivers service messages within the free 1,000 and stops after that.
- Utility template messages sent in reply to a customer inside an open service window, free since 1 July 2025, are now charged. Utility messages sent in free entry point windows, such as after a click-to-WhatsApp ad, stay free.
- For India, Meta says eligible businesses must move all messaging accounts in their portfolio to INR billing by 31 December 2026. Meta’s October rate table also raised the marketing message rate for the UAE.
What it means for founders
Chatbot and automated replies count as service messages, so a busy support line or a bot that answers in several short messages can pass 1,000 quickly. Techweez notes the allowance is per phone number, not per customer or conversation. Your solution provider may add its own fees on top of Meta’s rate. Order updates sent as utility templates during a chat now cost money from the first message.
What to do now
- Pull last month’s delivered service message count for each number to see whether you would have gone past 1,000.
- Check that a payment method is attached, or replies will stop once the free allowance runs out.
- Rewrite bot flows that split one answer into several messages, and review which automations send utility templates inside open chats.
- India businesses: plan the move to INR billing before 31 December 2026, and check Meta’s current rate card as prices vary by country.
Sources: Meta for Developers, WhatsApp Business Platform pricing; Techweez, WhatsApp Business to charge for service messages above 1,000