The short answer
From 1 October 2026, Meta’s WhatsApp Business FAQ says replies to customers are charged after the first 1,000 a month for each business number. Its developer pricing page, checked on 10 October 2026, still says those replies are free. Until the two agree, plan as if replies past 1,000 cost a little, and switch your WhatsApp billing to rupees before 31 December 2026.
Key takeaways
- Meta’s FAQ and its developer pricing page disagree about reply charges after 1 October 2026.
- Rupee billing is due by 31 December 2026, or delivery stops from 1 January 2027.
- Marketing messages have been charged per message since 1 July 2025.
- 01What changed on 1 July 2025
- 02What changed on 1 October 2026
- 03The deadline that is certain
- 04What to do this month
What changed on 1 July 2025
WhatsApp moved from charging per conversation to charging per message. Each marketing message is charged. Utility messages sent within 24 hours of a customer writing to you were free at that point.
What changed on 1 October 2026
Meta’s WhatsApp Business FAQ says replies are now charged after the first 1,000 a month for each business number. Its developer pricing page, checked on 10 October 2026, still describes those replies as free. We haven’t found an official India rate per reply, so we’re not quoting one.
The deadline that is certain
Meta’s pricing page says accounts must switch their billing to rupees by 31 December 2026. From 1 January 2027, Meta stops delivering messages for accounts that haven’t. If someone else manages your WhatsApp account, ask them this week.
What to do this month
Check how many replies each business number sends in a month against 1,000. Keep messages useful, so fewer are needed. This post retires on 1 January 2027; check Meta’s pricing page for anything after that.
Sources
Put it to work.
See who’s due for this one in your own Reten.
Written by the Reten editorial team. General guidance, not legal advice: check consent and messaging rules for your business before you send.
