DoEcomm
WhatsApp Business API pricing in India (2026).
Meta charges per delivered message, and the price depends on the message type. Here are the current India rates, what's free, what changed on 1 October 2026, and what a typical online store actually pays each month.
Quick answer: As of 30 October 2026, Meta charges Indian businesses ₹0.8631 per marketing message and ₹0.1150 per utility, authentication or service message on the WhatsApp Business API. The first 1,000 service messages a month are free per number, 18% GST is added, and most providers add their own margin on top of Meta's rate.
India rates, by message type.
From Meta's official rate tool for India in rupees, checked 30 October 2026. Meta only changes rates on the first day of a quarter, with at least a month's notice.
| Category | What it's for | Rate per message | Volume discount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marketing | Promotions, offers, new arrivals, abandoned cart reminders, re-engagement | ₹0.8631 | No |
| Utility | Order confirmations, shipping and delivery updates, COD confirmation | ₹0.1150 | Yes, at higher monthly volume |
| Authentication | One-time passwords (OTP) | ₹0.1150 | Yes, at higher monthly volume |
| Service | Free-form replies inside the 24-hour customer service window | ₹0.1150 after 1,000 free a month | No |
Add 18% GST. Sources: Meta's WhatsApp Business Platform pricing page and developer documentation. Messages that aren't delivered are not charged.
What you don't pay for.
- Messages customers send youIncoming messages are always free.
- 1,000 service messages a monthEach business phone number gets 1,000 free service replies a month. They don't roll over.
- Click to WhatsApp ad chatsWhen a customer starts a chat from a Click to WhatsApp ad, your messages are free for a limited window after it opens.
- Undelivered messagesMeta only charges for messages that are delivered.
1 October 2026: two things stopped being free.
Meta moved from per-conversation to per-message pricing on 1 July 2025. Then, from 1 October 2026, it started charging again for two things that had been free:
Service replies after the first 1,000 a month per number, and utility messages sent inside an open 24-hour customer service window, for example an order update sent while the customer is already chatting with you.
If a guide tells you replies and in-window utility messages are free, it was written before this change. India's marketing rate also went up on 1 January 2026. Separately, Meta requires India-based solution providers and directly integrated businesses to move WhatsApp billing to rupees by 31 December 2026.
Estimate your monthly bill.
Pre-filled for a store with about 1,500 orders a month. Change the numbers to match yours.
Default example: 1,500 orders × 3 updates (confirmed, shipped, delivered) plus 600 COD confirmations = 5,100 utility messages; 800 cart reminders plus 5,000 campaign messages = 5,800 marketing messages. Total before GST ≈ ₹5,765; with GST ≈ ₹6,803.
What platforms charge on top of Meta.
Your WhatsApp platform bills you for messages, often at more than Meta's rate. Listed rates for a marketing message to an Indian number, 30 October 2026, before GST:
| Platform | Marketing | Utility | 10,000 marketing messages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meta's rate | ₹0.8631 | ₹0.1150 | ₹8,631 |
| Interakt (Growth) | ₹0.958 | ₹0.150 | ₹9,580 |
| AiSensy | ₹1.09 | ₹0.145 | ₹10,900 |
| DoEcomm | ₹0.8631, at cost | ₹0.1150, at cost | ₹8,631 |
From each platform's public pricing page. Compare plans in detail: AiSensy & Interakt · WATI.
WhatsApp pricing, answered.
How much does a WhatsApp Business API message cost in India?
On 30 October 2026, Meta's India rates were ₹0.8631 per marketing message and ₹0.1150 per utility, authentication or service message, before 18% GST. Meta charges per delivered message, and utility and authentication messages get cheaper at higher monthly volumes.
Is the WhatsApp Business API free in India?
Messages your customers send you are free, and each business number gets 1,000 free service messages a month. Messages sent in the free window after a customer clicks a Click to WhatsApp ad are also free. Everything else is charged per message by Meta, plus any subscription your platform charges.
What changed in WhatsApp pricing on 1 October 2026?
From 1 October 2026, Meta charges for service replies after the first 1,000 a month, and for utility messages sent inside an open 24-hour customer service window. Both had been free before. Many 2026 guides still describe them as free.
Is an abandoned cart reminder a marketing or utility message?
Meta usually classifies abandoned cart reminders and offers as marketing, and order confirmations, shipping updates and COD confirmations as utility. Meta decides the category when it approves each template.
Do WhatsApp platforms add a margin on Meta's rates?
Many do. On 30 October 2026, AiSensy listed marketing messages to India at ₹1.09 and Interakt at ₹0.949 to ₹0.970, against Meta's ₹0.8631. DoEcomm passes message charges on at Meta's cost.
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