Meta, the parent company of WhatsApp, is set to introduce charges for certain business messages sent through the WhatsApp Business Platform from October 1, 2026.
The new pricing policy was disclosed in a WhatsApp Business Platform pricing update released in July 2026.
The charges will apply to businesses using the official WhatsApp Business Platform, formerly known as the WhatsApp Business API, to manage customer interactions at scale.
However, ordinary WhatsApp users and most small businesses using the standard WhatsApp Business app on their phones will not be affected.
Under the existing system, when a customer messages a business, a 24-hour customer service window opens. During this period, businesses can respond with free-form service messages and certain utility messages without paying Meta.
That arrangement will change from October 1, when Meta begins charging businesses on a per-message basis for service messages sent within the 24-hour customer service window.
Meta said in its developer documentation: “Effective October 1, 2026, Meta will charge on a per-message basis for all service messages, consistent with how Meta charges for template messages.”
The company noted that service messages have been free since November 1, 2024.
Meta will also introduce charges for utility messages sent in response to customers within an open 24-hour service window.
“Effective October 1, 2026, Meta will charge on a per-message basis for utility messages sent in response to users (within an open 24-hour customer service window),” the company said.
Utility messages typically include payment confirmations, order updates, delivery notifications and other transaction-related communications. Meta said such messages have been free since July 1, 2025.
The company has also warned businesses and Solution Providers to add a valid payment method before the new charges take effect.
“For any Solution Provider or directly-integrated businesses that does not have a payment method on file by September 30, 2026, Meta will stop delivering service messages as of when they become charged on October 1, 2026,” it said.
For Nigerian businesses, each chargeable service or utility message is expected to cost about $0.0101, translating to roughly ₦14 per message at an exchange rate of about ₦1,340 to the dollar.
The new pricing means businesses that rely heavily on WhatsApp for customer support, order updates and transaction notifications could face higher communication costs from October.
