Meta will begin charging businesses for customer-service messages on WhatsApp starting October 1
Starting October 1, 2026, users of the WhatsApp Business Platform will incur charges per message for service and utility communications.
Meta, the parent company of WhatsApp, has revealed its intention to start charging businesses for customer-service messages on its WhatsApp Business Platform, effective October 1, 2026.
Meta announced via a notice on its WhatsApp Business platform that it will start charging for utility messages sent in response to users within the open 24-hour window.
The policy indicates that businesses reliant on the platform will have to prepare for increased operational expenses due to a service that was previously free.
“Starting October 1, 2026, Meta will implement a per-message charge for all service messages, aligning with its current pricing structure for template messages.” “These messages have not been charged since November 1, 2024,” the company stated.
“Starting October 1, 2026, Meta will implement a per-message fee for utility messages sent in response to users within an open 24-hour customer service window.” These messages have not been charged since July 1, 2025.
A service message is a reply from a business that is not based on a template, sent after a customer starts a conversation. On the other hand, utility messages are transactional communications that include payment confirmations, account updates, order confirmations, and delivery notifications.
Although the 24-hour customer-service window will continue to operate, businesses will no longer have the ability to send free service messages once the window is closed according to the new policy.
The new charges are applicable to businesses utilizing the WhatsApp Business Platform, previously referred to as the WhatsApp Business API, which is intended for companies overseeing customer communications on a large scale.
This encompasses enterprises like banks, fintech firms, telecommunications providers, e-commerce platforms, and various organizations that utilize WhatsApp for customer support and automated communications.
While Meta has not disclosed exact rates, existing pricing references suggest that utility-type messages sent to Nigerian numbers cost approximately $0.0101 per message, which translates to about N13.5 based on an official exchange rate of N1,337 as of August 28, 2026.
Businesses are expected to verify the relevant October rate after Meta releases its final rate card.
Meta has cautioned businesses and solution providers to ensure they have a valid payment method linked to their accounts prior to the implementation of the new charges.
“For any solution provider or directly integrated business that does not have a payment method on file by September 30, 2026, Meta will cease delivering service messages starting from when they become charged on October 1, 2026,” the company stated.
The decision comes in light of Meta’s transition to a per-message pricing model for the WhatsApp Business Platform.
As of July 2025, utility messages dispatched within an open customer-service window were complimentary, while service messages had been complimentary since November 2024.
