Changes to WABA and WACA Pricing Effective October 1, 2026
❗Effective October 1, 2026, Meta will change the messaging pricing rules for the WhatsApp Business Platform.
Incoming customer messages will remain free. Outgoing service messages will have a free monthly allowance, after which they will become billable.
The changes apply to messages sent by a business through the official WhatsApp API, including messages from Scenario Dialogs, CRM systems, chatbots, automations, and other integrations.
What will change
A service message is a regular non-template reply sent by a business within an open 24-hour customer service window. It can be sent by an employee, chatbot, automation, or connected CRM system.
Until September 30, 2026, these messages are not charged.
Starting October 1, 2026, Meta will count each delivered service message.
Each connected business phone number will receive 1,000 free outgoing service messages per month. Charges will begin with the 1,001st delivered message.
| Message type | Until September 30, 2026 | From October 1, 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Incoming customer message | Free | Free |
| Service messages 1–1,000 per month | Free | Free |
| Service messages starting from the 1,001st | Free | Paid |
| Utility template within the 24-hour window | Free | Paid |
| Utility template outside the 24-hour window | Paid | Paid |
| Marketing and Authentication templates | Paid | Paid |
Incoming customer messages are not charged and do not use the free service message allowance.
How the free allowance works
• 1,000 service messages are provided each month;
• the allowance is calculated separately for each connected phone number;
• only outgoing non-template service messages are counted;
• Utility templates are not included in the free allowance;
• volume-based discounts are not available for paid service messages.
An employee or chatbot sends five regular replies. These are counted as five outgoing service messages.
If 1,500 service messages are sent from the phone number during the month, the first 1,000 messages are free. The remaining 500 messages are charged according to the recipient’s market rate.
If one reply is split into several separate messages, each delivered message is counted individually.
What will change for Utility templates
Until September 30, 2026, Utility templates sent within an open 24-hour customer service window are not charged.
Starting October 1, Utility templates will be charged regardless of whether the 24-hour window is open.
The 1,000 free service messages do not apply to Utility templates. Utility templates are charged separately starting from the first delivered message.
How the 24-hour customer service window will work
The 24-hour customer service window is not being removed. It opens when a customer sends a message and resets after each new incoming customer message.
Within this window, a business can send regular non-template messages. After the window closes, communication through WABA and WACA can only be continued using a template approved by Meta.
Starting October 1, the 24-hour window will determine whether a regular non-template message can be sent. Whether the message is free will depend on the remaining monthly allowance.
Eligible messages sent during this window remain free. The 24-hour rules for sending regular non-template messages continue to apply.
Message cost
Meta charges for each delivered billable message. The price depends on the recipient’s market, which is determined by the country calling code of their phone number.
Service message rates will be the same as the Utility and Authentication rates for the corresponding market. Volume-based discounts will not apply to service messages.
The official rate card contains Meta rates. The final message cost in ChatApp may differ depending on the technical provider’s terms and the channel pricing model.
Current prices are available in the official Meta rate card effective October 1, 2026.
How to prepare for the changes
- Estimate how many outgoing messages employees and automations send from each phone number.
- Review chatbot scenarios. Avoid splitting one reply into several messages when it is not necessary.
- Consider the new expenses when planning your customer communication budget.
- Consider the recipient’s country because pricing is determined by the country calling code of their phone number.
- Make sure billing is configured for the channel and sufficient funds are available for sending messages after October 1, 2026.
• Each phone number receives 1,000 free outgoing service messages per month.
• Charges begin with the 1,001st delivered service message.
• Utility templates sent within the 24-hour window will become billable.
• The 24-hour window will remain in place and will continue to determine whether regular non-template messages can be sent.
• The final cost in ChatApp may differ from the Meta rate.
Learn more: upcoming Meta pricing updates and rates effective October 1, 2026.
