Blog · Pricing
WhatsApp Business API pricing in India (2026): what you actually pay
Two bills make up the cost of the WhatsApp Business API: Meta's charge per message, and whatever your provider adds on top. Here is each one in rupees, with worked examples.
The short answer
In India, from 1 October 2026, Meta charges about ₹0.86 for each marketing message and ₹0.115 for each utility message (order updates, reminders, confirmations). Replies to customers inside the 24-hour window are free from Meta. On top of that, every provider adds its own fee: a monthly plan, a per-message markup, or both.
Bill 1: Meta’s charge per message
Meta, which owns WhatsApp, charges for each template message your business sends. A template is a pre-approved message you can send first, for example a reminder or an offer. The rate depends on the template’s category:
| Category | What it is for | Meta’s rate in India |
|---|---|---|
| Marketing | Offers, new arrivals, festival greetings, anything promotional | ₹0.8631 per message |
| Utility | Order and payment updates, appointment reminders, confirmations | ₹0.115 per message |
| Service (replies) | Your replies when a customer has messaged you in the last 24 hours | Free |
Two things follow from this:
- Pick utility whenever it honestly fits. A payment reminder sent as utility costs about a seventh of the same message sent as marketing. Meta checks the category, and a promotion filed as utility gets moved to marketing or rejected.
- Conversations that customers start are cheap. When a customer writes first, every reply you send in the next 24 hours costs nothing from Meta.
Bill 2: what the provider adds
You can’t use the API on your own without building software, so businesses use a provider (also called a BSP or tech provider). Providers charge in one of three ways:
- A monthly plan, often ₹2,500 to ₹6,500 a month for the features most businesses need (scheduled campaigns, chatbot flows, a team inbox).
- A markup on Meta’s rate, so a marketing message costs you ₹1.03 to ₹1.09 instead of ₹0.86.
- Usage only: no plan, a small fee per message or conversation.
Many providers combine the first two. When you compare, always add both together for your monthly volume, not the headline plan price.
Worked example: a coaching institute
A coaching institute with 1,000 students and parents sends 4 campaigns a month (batch news, a festival offer, results, a fee drive) and answers 600 enquiries.
| Count | Meta | |
|---|---|---|
| Marketing templates | 4,000 | 4,000 × ₹0.8631 = ₹3,452 |
| Replies to enquiries | 600 conversations | Free |
Meta’s part is about ₹3,452 whichever provider you use. The provider’s part is where the difference is:
- A plan of ₹2,999 to ₹5,700 a month plus a markup of 17 to 23 paise on each of the 4,000 messages: roughly ₹3,700 to ₹6,600 on top of Meta.
- GetSetSales: no plan; ₹0.15 per template message and ₹0.15 per conversation your bot or team answers: 4,000 × ₹0.15 + 600 × ₹0.15 = ₹690 on top of Meta.
Plan prices are from the providers’ own pricing pages, read in October 2026. They change, so check before you decide.
Worked example: a clinic that sends reminders
A clinic sends 800 appointment reminders a month as utility templates and answers 300 patient chats.
- Meta: 800 × ₹0.115 = ₹92. The replies are free.
- GetSetSales: 800 × ₹0.15 + 300 × ₹0.15 = ₹165.
Under ₹300 a month in all. For a small business, the monthly plan is usually the biggest part of the bill, not the messages.
How to keep the bill down
- Use utility for anything transactional. Reminders, receipts and confirmations, written plainly, without offers mixed in.
- Let customers start the chat. A click-to-WhatsApp ad, a QR code at your counter or a WhatsApp link in your Instagram bio all open free 24-hour windows.
- Send campaigns to people who want them. Fewer, better-aimed messages cost less and get fewer blocks, which keeps your number healthy.
- Avoid paying for features you don’t use. If you send a few thousand messages a month, a usage-only provider is usually cheaper than a plan.
Frequently asked
Is the WhatsApp Business app free?
Yes. The app on your phone is free, but it can’t send to thousands of people, run automations, or be shared by a team. Those need the API. You can keep using the app on the same number alongside the API.
Do I pay when a customer messages me?
Not to Meta. Replies inside the 24-hour window are free from Meta. Some providers charge per conversation; we charge ₹0.15 when your bot or team answers one.
Is GST extra?
Meta’s invoice and your provider’s invoice each carry their own tax. Check both when you budget.
See our full pricing and calculator, or read why WhatsApp templates get rejected.