Short answer. You pay two parties. Meta charges per message for template messages, the messages your business starts, at its India rates. From 1 October 2026 Meta also charges for service messages, your replies inside the 24 hour customer service window, after the first 1,000 free each month per number. Separately, your provider charges a subscription for the software you use the API through.
Meta changes its rates from time to time, so this guide explains the structure and links to Meta's official WhatsApp pricing page for current numbers.
Who charges what?
| Who | What they charge for | How it is billed |
|---|---|---|
| Meta | Template messages your business sends | Per message, at Meta's India rate for that category |
| Meta | Service messages, from 1 October 2026 | Per message, after the first 1,000 free each month per number |
| Your provider | The software: inbox, AI, broadcasts, analytics | A subscription, usually monthly or yearly |
What are template messages?
A template message is a message your business starts, using wording Meta has reviewed in advance. Meta groups templates into categories, and each category has its own rate:
- Marketing: offers, sale announcements, new arrivals, restock alerts.
- Utility: updates about something the customer already did, such as an order confirmation, a delivery update or a payment reminder.
- Authentication: one time passcodes for logging in or verifying an account.
Marketing messages generally cost the most. Meta publishes the exact rate for each category and country on its pricing page.
What is the 24 hour customer service window?
When a customer messages your business, a 24 hour customer service window opens. Inside it, you can reply freely without a template. These replies are called service messages. Each new message from the customer restarts the 24 hours. Once the window closes, the next message you send must be a template.
What changes on 1 October 2026?
Until now, service messages have not been charged. From 1 October 2026, Meta charges for them too. Every business number gets its first 1,000 service messages free each month, and Meta charges only from the 1,001st. A business that answers a lot of customer questions should plan for this, because busy months can pass 1,000 replies.
A worked example
Take a clothing shop in October 2026 that sends 3,000 marketing messages for a festival sale and replies to 2,400 customer questions inside the service window.
- Meta, marketing: 3,000 messages at Meta's marketing rate for India.
- Meta, service: the first 1,000 replies are free, so 1,400 replies at Meta's service rate.
- Provider: the plan subscription. On YUSR AI's Growth plan at ₹4,999 a month, the 3,000 broadcast messages sit well inside the 25,000 included, so there is nothing extra from us.
Multiply each count by the current rate on Meta's pricing page to get the Meta part of the bill.
What does a provider add on top?
Providers differ. Some add a markup to every Meta message, some charge a flat subscription, some do both. Ask any provider two questions: is Meta billed at Meta's own rate, and what exactly does the subscription include?
At YUSR AI, Meta's charges pass through at Meta's India rates with no markup. Plans are Starter at ₹1,999, Growth at ₹4,999 and Scale at ₹11,999 a month, each with AI replies and broadcast messages included, and ₹1 per AI reply or 5 paise per broadcast message beyond that. Details are on the pricing page.
How do you keep WhatsApp costs down?
- Target, do not blast. Send the wholesale rate list only to wholesale buyers. Tagging contacts cuts marketing messages you did not need to send.
- Let customers start the chat. A WhatsApp QR code on your counter or packaging gets customers to message you first, which opens the service window.
- Use utility templates for utility messages. An order update is a utility message, so do not send it as marketing.
- Watch your service replies. After 1 October 2026, an AI assistant that resolves a question in one clear reply costs less than a long back and forth.
Common questions
How much does the WhatsApp Business API cost in India?
There are two parts. Meta charges per template message at its India rate for each category, and from 1 October 2026 per service message after the first 1,000 free each month per number. Your provider charges separately for the software. Current Meta rates are on Meta's official WhatsApp pricing page.
Are replies to customers free on WhatsApp?
Until 1 October 2026, replies inside the 24 hour customer service window are not charged. From 1 October 2026 Meta charges for them after the first 1,000 free each month per business number.
What is the difference between marketing and utility messages?
Marketing messages promote something, such as a sale or a new arrival. Utility messages are about something the customer already did, such as an order confirmation or a delivery update. Meta charges them at different rates.
Does YUSR AI add a markup to Meta's charges?
No. Meta's charges are billed at Meta's India rates with no markup. The YUSR AI plan price covers the software, AI replies and broadcast volume in your plan.
Sources and further reading
- Meta's official WhatsApp pricing page, the authoritative source for current rates and categories
- YUSR AI pricing, plans and included volumes
YUSR AI runs on the official WhatsApp Business API. Seven days free, the full product, no card.