Under this former model, when a conversation opened, all messages exchanged in the next 24 hours fell under a single billable conversation. The price depended on the conversation category and the country of the customer.
The switch to per-message pricing took effect on July 1, 2025. A business is now charged when a message is delivered, not when it is sent, in one category per message: marketing, utility, authentication, service or, since July 1, 2026, Meta Business Agent. Messages from customers to the business are not charged.
Since October 1, 2026, service messages (the free-form replies sent inside the 24-hour customer service window) are charged as well, after a free tier of 1,000 service messages per business phone number per month that does not roll over. From the same date, utility templates sent inside that window are charged too. One free case remains: when a customer writes from an ad that clicks to WhatsApp and the business replies, a free entry point window opens, and it may stay open for up to 7 days.
Rates vary by market and Meta may change them on the first day of each quarter, so merchants should check the current rate card before planning campaigns. The WhatsApp Business pricing guide walks through the categories and the free cases.
