Last updated 31 October 2026
Prices seen 31 October 2026 on provider pricing pages; Meta’s India rates are those effective 1 October 2026. All prices exclude 18% GST. Sources
WhatsApp Business API pricing in India has two layers: Meta’s per-message fee, which is the same whichever provider you choose, and your provider’s charges: a plan fee, sometimes a higher per-message rate, and add-ons. A low subscription can become expensive once campaigns, extra agents and automation are added.
This article uses direct provider links without affiliate tracking, and ScaleSaathi does not sell WhatsApp services. If we add affiliate links in future, we will say so clearly on this page.
- Meta charges ₹0.8631 per delivered marketing message and ₹0.115 per utility or OTP message to an Indian number.
- Service replies are free for the first 1,000 a month per business number, then ₹0.115 each.
- Providers add a plan fee, a higher per-message rate, or both. Add 18% GST to everything.
- India-billed accounts must move to rupee billing by 31 December 2026, or messages stop on 1 January 2027.
- A small shop sending 1,000 offers, 1,000 order updates and 1,500 replies pays about ₹1,222 a month direct on Meta, or ₹3,313 on a ₹1,500 plan, GST included.
Work out your monthly bill with our WhatsApp API cost calculator.
What changed on 1 October 2026
- Service replies: free since 1 November 2024, now free only for the first 1,000 a month on each business phone number (no carry-over). After that, ₹0.115 each.
- Utility templates inside the 24-hour window: free from 1 July 2025 to 30 September 2026, now charged at the normal ₹0.115.
- Payment method: without one, Meta says replies beyond the free 1,000 are not delivered.
- India’s rates themselves did not change in Meta’s October 2026 update. The marketing rate last rose on 1 January 2026, from ₹0.7846 to ₹0.8631, as reported by Codingclave.
- Rupee billing deadline: India-based businesses billed by Meta must move every WhatsApp account to INR billing by 31 December 2026. From 1 January 2027 Meta stops delivering messages from accounts still on another currency, as reported by Takat.
If a provider’s page or an older article says replies or in-window utility messages are free, it is out of date. Meta now changes rates only on 1 January, 1 April, 1 July or 1 October; the next possible change is 1 January 2027. Further out, Autobot reports that the Cloud API stops sending marketing messages on 13 October 2027, when API users have to switch to Meta’s Marketing Messages API. Check with your provider whether it already sends through that API.
Start with the job you need WhatsApp to do
- Answer a manageable number of customer enquiries: first check whether the free WhatsApp Business app meets your needs. Pay for an API platform when a specific workflow needs it.
- Run campaigns with a shared inbox: compare a subscription platform’s full cost, including the automation and team access you need.
- Connect messaging to your own application: weigh a developer service or Meta’s Cloud API directly against the cost of building, running and supporting the integration.
Write down the business result before selecting a plan: fewer missed enquiries, faster order updates or more completed purchases. ScaleSaathi’s guide to choosing business software helps turn that result into requirements you can test.
Meta’s India message rates (effective 1 October 2026)
| Message type | Example | Meta fee per delivered message | Volume discount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marketing | Offer, festival sale, abandoned-cart reminder | ₹0.8631 | None |
| Utility | Order confirmed, shipped, payment received | ₹0.115 | From ₹0.1081 above 2.5 crore a month, down to ₹0.0805 above 30 crore |
| Authentication (OTP) | Login or verification code | ₹0.115 | From ₹0.1081 above 7.5 lakh a month, down to ₹0.0805 above 10 crore |
| Authentication-international | OTPs from an eligible business based outside India | ₹2.4971 | Same bands, down to ₹1.748 |
| Service reply | Free-form reply within 24 hours of the customer’s message | 1,000 free per number per month, then ₹0.115 | None |
| Meta Business Agent (AI replies) | Replies written by Meta’s AI | US$2 per million tokens (about 4 to 5 US cents per reply, Meta’s estimate) | None; never free |
Volume discounts apply only to messages inside each band and reset monthly. They are counted across your business portfolio, so keeping numbers under one portfolio helps. Meta’s Business Agent price is in US dollars because Meta publishes it that way.
Keep the categories clear. An automated store message is not automatically a utility message; if a template includes a promotion, it can be categorised as marketing, which costs 7.5 times more. Inspect what each template says and its approved category.
Planning a bot? See what a WhatsApp AI chatbot costs each month, including AI usage.
The 24-hour window and free ad windows
A customer message opens a 24-hour service window, reset by their next message. Inside it you can send free-form replies (1,000 a month per number free, then ₹0.115). Outside it, you need an approved template. WhatsApp’s Business Messaging Policy also requires permission to contact people and respect for opt-outs; a contact list alone is not permission.
When a customer starts a chat from a Click-to-WhatsApp ad and you reply within 24 hours, a free window opens in which all your messages to that customer are free, except Meta’s AI replies. Meta’s pricing page says this window may stay open for up to 7 days; some providers still say 72 hours. Ask your provider how they show it on your bill.
What it costs to get started: setup, verification and the green tick
Meta charges nothing to open a WhatsApp Business Account, verify your business or apply for the green tick; you pay only for delivered messages. What a provider charges for setup varies: WATI states zero setup fees, and AiSensy, Interakt and Twilio list none. Paid onboarding, migrating a number from another provider or the WhatsApp Business app, and connecting your store or CRM are where setup money actually goes.
The cost nobody lists is time. Business verification, display-name approval and template reviews each take a day or more, and a template can be rejected or approved under a pricier category than you asked for. A new account can also message only a limited number of people a day outside the service window. Autobot reports that a new business portfolio starts at 250 people a day and rises to 2,000, 10,000, 1,00,000 and then unlimited as quality holds. Plan your first campaign around that, not around your full contact list.
What to ask for in every estimate
- Messaging: category, recipient country, billable quantity and unit price.
- Platform: subscription, billing period, included agents and WhatsApp numbers.
- Usage extras: additional seats, chatbot or AI usage, integrations and processing fees.
- Set-up: onboarding, configuration, migration and developer work.
- Final payment: GST, currency conversion and payment charges.
The most useful question is: “Does your message rate already include Meta’s fee?” Some providers publish one combined rate; others list their fee separately. Adding Meta’s rate on top of a combined rate would overstate the bill. Keep ad spend and wallet top-ups separate from the month’s actual messaging cost.
Provider pricing compared
The markup is the gap between the provider’s rate and Meta’s. Divide one by the other: ₹1.09 ÷ ₹0.8631 = 1.26, about 26% above Meta’s marketing fee.
| Provider | Plan fee (published) | Rate per message to India | Above Meta’s rate | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AiSensy | Basic ₹1,500/mo, Pro ₹3,200/mo, Premium ₹9,100/mo (as reported by Codingclave, 29 Oct 2026); chatbot flows ₹2,500/mo; AI agent ₹1,350/mo; + GST | Marketing ₹1.09; utility, OTP and service ₹0.145 | About 26% | 31 Oct 2026 |
| Interakt | Growth ₹2,799/mo, Advanced ₹3,799/mo, + taxes; Starter ₹3,499 a quarter (as reported by Codingclave, 29 Oct 2026). See our Interakt review for every plan. | Marketing ₹0.949 to ₹0.970; utility ₹0.140 to ₹0.160; OTP ₹0.127 to ₹0.129, by plan | About 10 to 12% on marketing; 22 to 39% on utility | 31 Oct 2026 |
| WATI | Growth ₹2,699/mo, Pro ₹5,799/mo, Business ₹16,799/mo, billed quarterly; extra number ₹2,499/mo | Marketing ₹1.0357; utility and OTP ₹0.1495; service ₹0.1380 (Growth rate card dated 1 Oct 2026, as reported by Codingclave) | About 20% on marketing, 30% on utility | 31 Oct 2026 |
| MSG91 | Titan ₹500/mo, excluding 18% GST | Its own rate card; ask for it in writing | Not published | 25 Oct 2026 |
| Twilio | None | US$0.005 per message sent or received, plus Meta’s fee | Fixed US$ fee | 31 Oct 2026 |
| Meta Cloud API, direct | ₹0; you build and host the software | Meta’s rates | 0% | 31 Oct 2026 |
Some provider pages show different prices by country, so confirm the rupee quote in your own account. AiSensy’s page still describes the free ad window as 72 hours; Meta says up to 7 days.
AiSensy: a rupee subscription plus message credits
Useful for a team that wants broadcasts and a shared inbox without building its own software. Basic includes one owner and five agents; extra agents are ₹750 a month each. Its free plan does not include broadcasting. The AI agent add-on starts at ₹1,350 a month for 1,000 AI messages. AiSensy’s page describes its rates as having no markup, but its published ₹1.09 and ₹0.145 are above Meta’s ₹0.8631 and ₹0.115 rate card, so compare the numbers yourself.
Interakt: message rates tied to the plan
A higher plan lowers the per-message rate slightly (₹0.970 to ₹0.949 for marketing). Request both plan totals at your expected volume: a small saving per message may not recover a higher fixed fee. All Interakt plans include unlimited agents, which matters once more than five people answer chats.
If you are choosing between the two most common Indian inbox tools, our WATI vs Interakt comparison sets plans, seats and message rates side by side, and the Interakt review covers its Shopify flows in detail. WATI now shows rupee plans: Growth is ₹2,699 a month billed quarterly with three users and no extra seats, and Pro is ₹5,799 with five users and extra users at ₹1,299 a month each, seen 31 October 2026 on WATI’s pricing page.
Twilio: a fee on every message in and out
Useful for businesses with developers. Twilio charges US$0.005 per WhatsApp message, inbound or outbound, plus Meta’s fee, so it applies even when Meta’s fee is zero. For example, 10,000 outbound and 4,000 inbound messages cost 14,000 × US$0.005 = US$70 in Twilio fees, before Meta’s fee and GST.
A worked monthly bill for a small business
Here is the kind of month I see most often for a small shop: a couple of offers to past buyers, order updates for every sale, and customers replying with questions. The same traffic is priced three ways.
Assumptions: (A) 1,000 marketing templates, 1,000 utility templates and 1,500 service replies to Indian numbers, all delivered; (B) one business number, so the first 1,000 replies are free; (C) work fits in the plan’s included seats, no add-ons; (D) no chats come from Click-to-WhatsApp ads; (E) prices seen 31 October 2026, AiSensy and Interakt plan fees on monthly billing.
| Line | Meta Cloud API direct | AiSensy Basic | Interakt Growth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plan fee | ₹0 (you build and host the software) | ₹1,500 | ₹2,799 |
| Marketing, 1,000 | 1,000 × ₹0.8631 = ₹863.10 | 1,000 × ₹1.09 = ₹1,090 | 1,000 × ₹0.958 = ₹958 |
| Utility, 1,000 | 1,000 × ₹0.115 = ₹115 | 1,000 × ₹0.145 = ₹145 | 1,000 × ₹0.150 = ₹150 |
| Replies, 1,500 (1,000 free) | 500 × ₹0.115 = ₹57.50 | 500 × ₹0.145 = ₹72.50 | 500 × ₹0.128 = ₹64 |
| Subtotal | ₹1,035.60 | ₹2,807.50 | ₹3,971 |
| 18% GST | ₹186.41 | ₹505.35 | ₹714.78 |
| Total | ₹1,222.01 | ₹3,312.85 | ₹4,685.78 |
On AiSensy, the plan fee and markup are about 63% of this bill. Adding the ₹2,500 chatbot builder raises the AiSensy subtotal to ₹5,307.50, a bigger change than any difference in message rates. Interakt’s lower marketing rate only pays for its higher plan fee at much larger volumes. The direct route looks cheapest, but it needs a developer and your own inbox software. Try your own numbers in the calculator.
When does a higher monthly plan become cheaper?
Use this when two suitable plans have different fixed fees and different prices for the same message:
Break-even volume = extra monthly fixed fee ÷ saving per message.
An invented example, not any real provider: Plan A costs ₹2,000 a month plus ₹1.05 per message; Plan B costs ₹3,500 plus ₹0.90. Extra fee ₹1,500 ÷ saving ₹0.15 = 10,000 messages a month, where both cost ₹12,500 before GST. At 5,000 messages they cost ₹7,250 and ₹8,000; at 20,000, ₹23,000 and ₹21,500. Do the sum separately for each message type and include required add-ons in the fixed fee.
GST, TDS and INR billing
- Meta’s Business Help Centre says eligible Indian businesses are billed in rupees by Facebook India Online Services Pvt Ltd with 18% GST; add your GSTIN in billing settings. Indian providers list plan prices “+ GST”.
- A GST-registered business can usually claim this GST as input tax credit with a valid invoice; older accounts billed from Meta Ireland may fall under reverse charge. Check with your CA.
- Meta’s help page says invoiced customers may deduct 10% TDS. Check with your CA; our TDS calculator works out the amount.
- Every WhatsApp account of an India-based business billed by Meta must be on INR billing by 31 December 2026. From 1 January 2027, Meta stops delivering messages from accounts still on another currency, as reported by Takat from Meta’s help page. If a provider bills you, ask it to confirm in writing that your account has moved.
Six charges and limits to settle before paying
1. Team access and number limits
Count the administrators, agents and supervisors who need access. Ask whether each WhatsApp number needs another subscription. Each number also gets its own 1,000 free replies from Meta.
2. The exact automation you need
Describe the workflow: an order event triggers a message, a reply updates the customer record, and an agent can take over. Ask the provider to demonstrate it on the quoted plan. “API access”, “chatbot” and “AI agent” can mean different things and different billing units.
3. Credit balance, consumption and refunds
Ask about minimum recharge, unused credits, expiry and refunds. A prepaid wallet can need more cash than the month’s actual messaging cost.
4. Failures and message categories
Ask for a sample usage export showing delivery status, country, category, quantity and charges. Meta charges only delivered messages, but check what the provider charges for failed or retried ones, and what happens if Meta re-categorises a template.
5. Currency, GST and commitment
Get both the amount payable now and the recurring amount after the first term. Check which business receives the invoice and whether GST is included. ScaleSaathi’s SaaS cost guide covers annual payments and currency.
6. Ownership and leaving later
Clarify who controls the business account and phone number, what chat and contact data you can export, and what migration help costs. Test the export during evaluation.
Why the API costs more than the free app, and how to cut the bill
The free WhatsApp Business app runs on one phone with a few linked devices and sends broadcasts only to people who saved your number. The API is what you pay for when you need automated order updates, a shared team inbox, bots or campaigns to thousands of opted-in customers. Meta prices each delivered template, and providers charge for the software around it. That is why the bill feels high next to a free app, but it is the per-message cost, not the access, that grows with you.
A quick test of scale: sending 5,000 marketing messages costs ₹4,315.50 at Meta’s rate, or ₹5,092.29 with GST, before any provider fee. The same 5,000 messages as utility order updates cost ₹575, or ₹678.50 with GST. On AiSensy’s ₹1.09 rate the 5,000 marketing messages are ₹5,450 before GST.
| What to do | Why it saves money |
|---|---|
| Get templates categorised correctly | An order update approved as utility costs ₹0.115; a promotional line pushes it to marketing at ₹0.8631 |
| Send one complete reply, not three short ones | Meta bills per message, and replies beyond the free 1,000 cost ₹0.115 each |
| Use Click-to-WhatsApp ads for campaigns | Messages in the free entry window that follows are not charged by Meta |
| Keep each number’s free replies in use | Every business number gets its own 1,000 free service replies a month |
| Clean your contact list | Meta charges only delivered messages, but low-quality lists hurt your quality rating and sending limit |
| Pay yearly only once volume is steady | A yearly plan saves on the fee but locks you in if campaigns drop |
If a chatbot answers most replies, read what a WhatsApp AI chatbot costs in India too: the AI usage is a separate line from Meta’s fee.
Choose a budget, then run a small pilot
Give two shortlisted providers the same brief: message volumes by type and country, expected replies, number of agents, integrations and billing preference. Ask for a sample invoice, a usage export and the lowest plan that completes your workflow. Run one opted-in workflow before committing to a long term, and compare the estimate with actual delivered messages and charges. For an online shop, carry the total into the ecommerce website running-cost guide, and add it under “Other software” in the SaaS cost calculator. When you are ready to compare features and support, use the WhatsApp API provider-selection guide.
Frequently asked questions
How much does WhatsApp Business API cost in India in 2026?
From 1 October 2026, Meta charges ₹0.8631 per delivered marketing message and ₹0.115 per utility, OTP or chargeable service reply, before 18% GST. Provider plan fees and markups come on top.
Is WhatsApp Business API free?
No. Meta charges per delivered template message and for service replies beyond 1,000 a month per number. What stays free: messages customers send you, the first 1,000 replies a month per number, and chats inside a Click-to-WhatsApp ad window. A free provider plan still leaves Meta’s fees and usually excludes broadcasting.
Are all messages free within 24 hours?
No, not since 1 October 2026. Inside the 24-hour window, the first 1,000 replies a month per number are free; after that replies cost ₹0.115. Utility, marketing and OTP templates are charged inside the window too.
Are prices based on contacts, conversations or messages?
Meta has charged per delivered message since 1 July 2025, not per conversation or contact. Providers can add other billing units such as subscriptions, seats or inbound-message fees.
Why is the provider’s message rate higher than Meta’s rate?
The provider may include its own margin in the rate. For example, AiSensy publishes ₹1.09 for marketing against Meta’s ₹0.8631, about 26% more. Ask for Meta’s fee and the provider’s fee as separate lines.
Is GST charged on WhatsApp API, and can I claim it?
Yes, 18% GST applies to Meta’s and providers’ fees for Indian businesses. A GST-registered business can usually claim it as input tax credit with a valid invoice. Check with your CA.
Which WhatsApp API provider is cheapest in India?
There is no single cheapest provider for every business. Compare the full monthly total for your message mix, replies, agents, automation and GST. Meta’s Cloud API directly has no plan fee, but you need your own developer.
Should a small business pay annually?
First test the workflow, usage, support and data export on a short commitment. Then compare the annual price with the monthly one, including cancellation and refund terms.
How much does it cost to send 5,000 WhatsApp marketing messages in India?
At Meta’s rate of ₹0.8631, 5,000 delivered marketing messages cost ₹4,315.50, or ₹5,092.29 with 18% GST. Your provider’s markup or plan fee comes on top: on AiSensy’s ₹1.09 rate the messages alone are ₹5,450 before GST.
Why is WhatsApp API so expensive?
Meta charges for every delivered template, marketing costs 7.5 times a utility message, and providers add a plan fee or markup for the inbox and automation. Correct template categories, fewer split replies and Click-to-WhatsApp ads keep the bill down.
Is the Click-to-WhatsApp free window 72 hours or 7 days?
Meta’s pricing page says the free entry point window may stay open for up to 7 days. Some providers, including AiSensy on 31 October 2026, still describe it as 72 hours, so ask how your provider bills it.
What happens if my Meta account is not on INR billing by 31 December 2026?
India-based businesses billed by Meta must move every WhatsApp account to rupee billing by 31 December 2026. From 1 January 2027, Meta stops delivering messages from accounts still on another currency, as reported by Takat.
Does business verification or the green tick cost money?
Not from Meta. Opening the account, business verification and applying for the green tick are free; you pay for delivered messages. A provider may charge for onboarding or number migration, so ask before you sign.
How much does Twilio charge for WhatsApp in India?
Twilio adds US$0.005 to every WhatsApp message sent or received, on top of Meta’s fee, with no plan fee, seen 31 October 2026. Ten thousand outbound and 4,000 inbound messages cost US$70 in Twilio fees before Meta’s fee and GST.
Related guides
- WhatsApp API cost calculator
- How to choose a WhatsApp API provider in India
- WATI vs Interakt
- Interakt review
- WhatsApp AI chatbot cost in India
- How to calculate SaaS costs
- Ecommerce website cost in India
- GST calculator
- How to choose a CRM for a small business
Sources and further reading
- Meta, WhatsApp Business Platform pricing, updated 30 Sep 2026, with INR rate card and volume tiers effective 1 Oct 2026; seen 25 Oct 2026.
- Meta Business Help Centre, India invoicing, GST, TDS and INR migration.
- WhatsApp, Business app overview and Business Messaging Policy.
- WhatsApp, message categories: marketing, utility, authentication.
- AiSensy pricing; Interakt rate table and plans; WATI; MSG91; Twilio (states “current as of September 2026”); MSG91 seen 25 Oct 2026, the rest 31 Oct 2026.
- Mint, WhatsApp Business Platform charges from 1 October 2026.
- Codingclave, WhatsApp API pricing in India compared, updated 29 October 2026: AiSensy, Interakt Starter and WATI rate-card figures marked “as reported”.
- Takat, Meta’s India rates and the INR billing deadline.
- Autobot, messaging limits for new accounts and the Marketing Messages API date.
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