WhatsApp Business API price in India (October 2026)
By the S3Techpulse team · Rates last checked
The WhatsApp Business API price in India has two parts. Meta charges a fee for each message it delivers, and the business solution provider (BSP) you use to send those messages adds its own plan or per-message fee. This guide gives Meta’s current rupee rates for Indian numbers, the messages that are still free, what Gupshup, Interakt, AiSensy and Twilio add, and three monthly bills worked out step by step.
In short
From 1 October 2026, Meta charges ₹0.8631 per marketing message and ₹0.115 per utility, authentication or service message delivered to an Indian number. Each business phone number gets 1,000 free service messages a month. Utility messages sent inside the 24-hour window are no longer free. BSP fees and GST are extra.
How Meta charges in India now
Meta has charged per message since 1 July 2025, replacing the old per-conversation model. You pay only for delivered messages, never for messages customers send you. The rate depends on the message category and the recipient’s country code. There are five categories:
- Marketing: template messages with offers and promotions.
- Utility: template messages such as order updates, appointment reminders or receipts.
- Authentication: template messages with one-time passwords.
- Service: free-form replies while the 24-hour customer service window is open. Each customer message reopens it.
- Meta Business Agent: replies from Meta’s own AI agent, added on 1 July 2026 and charged by tokens.
The 1 October 2026 update changes most Indian bills. Service messages had been free since 1 November 2024, and utility messages inside an open window since 1 July 2025. Meta now charges for both, with 1,000 free service messages per business phone number per month.
Meta’s rates for Indian numbers
| Category | INR per message | USD per message | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marketing | ₹0.8631 | $0.0118 | 13 Oct 2026 |
| Utility | ₹0.115 | $0.0014 | 13 Oct 2026 |
| Authentication | ₹0.115 | $0.0014 | 13 Oct 2026 |
| Authentication-international | ₹2.4971 | $0.0304 | 13 Oct 2026 |
| Service (after 1,000 free a month) | ₹0.115 | $0.0014 | 13 Oct 2026 |
| Meta Business Agent | Not listed in INR | $2.00 per 1 million tokens | 13 Oct 2026 |
Source: Meta’s INR and USD rate cards, effective 1 October 2026, for recipients with the +91 country code. Meta lists the Meta Business Agent rate in US dollars on both cards. Meta may change rates only on 1 January, 1 April, 1 July and 1 October, with at least one month’s notice.
Who pays the authentication-international rate?
Only businesses based outside India that send more than 750,000 authentication messages in a rolling 30 days to countries with this rate, after 30 days’ notice from Meta. An Indian business sending OTPs to Indian users pays ₹0.115.
Which messages are free
- Messages customers send you. Meta never charges for incoming messages.
- The first 1,000 service messages a month for each business phone number. The allowance resets monthly and unused messages do not carry over. Without a payment method on file, Meta stops delivering service messages once the 1,000 are used.
- Everything in a free entry point window. When someone messages you from a Click to WhatsApp ad on the Android or iOS app and you reply within 24 hours, Meta opens a window of up to 7 days in which marketing, utility, authentication and service messages are free. Meta Business Agent replies are still charged.
Volume discounts in India
Utility and authentication messages get cheaper at high volume. Meta counts charged messages per business portfolio, for each country and category, and resets the count every month. The lower rate applies only to messages above each threshold. Marketing and service messages have no tiers.
| Messages per month | Utility | Messages per month | Authentication |
|---|---|---|---|
| Up to 2.5 crore | ₹0.115 | Up to 7.5 lakh | ₹0.115 |
| 2.5 to 5 crore | ₹0.1081 | 7.5 lakh to 1.5 crore | ₹0.1081 |
| 5 to 10 crore | ₹0.1012 | 1.5 to 2 crore | ₹0.1012 |
| 10 to 20 crore | ₹0.0943 | 2 to 5 crore | ₹0.0943 |
| 20 to 30 crore | ₹0.0874 | 5 to 10 crore | ₹0.0874 |
| Above 30 crore | ₹0.0805 | Above 10 crore | ₹0.0805 |
Source: Meta’s INR volume tiers, effective 1 October 2026, last checked 13 Oct 2026. A small business will almost always pay the first-tier rate.
What a BSP adds on top
Most businesses use a BSP for the inbox, broadcasts and chatbot builder. BSPs charge a monthly plan, a per-message fee, or a margin inside the per-message price. Figures are from each provider’s public pricing page.
| Provider | What they charge | Per message to Indian numbers | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Interakt | Growth ₹2,799/mo, Advanced ₹3,799/mo (+ taxes); cheaper billed quarterly or yearly | Growth: marketing ₹0.958, utility ₹0.150, authentication ₹0.128, service ₹0.128 (after 1,000 free) | 13 Oct 2026 |
| AiSensy | Prepaid message credits; chatbot builder ₹2,500/mo; AI agent ₹1,350/mo with 1,000 AI messages | Marketing ₹1.09; utility, authentication and service ₹0.145 (service after 1,000 free) | 13 Oct 2026 |
| Gupshup (self-serve) | $0.0010 per template message and $0.0010 per session message, incoming or outgoing | Meta’s fee passed through | 13 Oct 2026 |
| Twilio | $0.005 per message, inbound or outbound; $0.001 per failed message | Meta’s fee passed through | 13 Oct 2026 |
Interakt’s and AiSensy’s per-message prices include Meta’s fee. We could not confirm WATI’s prices from its public page on 13 Oct 2026, so it is not listed. BSP prices change often; check before you sign up.
WhatsApp chatbot price
A WhatsApp chatbot’s running cost has three parts:
- Messages. Bot replies inside the 24-hour window are service messages: free up to 1,000 a month per number, then ₹0.115 each at Meta’s rate. If you use Meta Business Agent instead, Meta charges $2.00 per million tokens and estimates 4 to 5 US cents for a typical reply.
- The bot tool. For example, AiSensy’s chatbot builder at ₹2,500 a month for five chatbots, or Interakt’s WhatsApp AI Agents add-on, listed at ₹3,000 for its Growth and Advanced plans.
- Build and integration. A bot that books appointments or reads your CRM needs setup work, which our AI chatbot development team does.
WhatsApp Business app or the API?
The WhatsApp Business app is free to download and use, with a mix of free and paid features, says its app store listing. It suits a shop where one or two people reply by hand, and the per-message rates do not apply.
The API is reached through Meta’s Cloud API or a BSP and billed per delivered message. Choose it for automated reminders, several agents on one number, a chatbot, or messages from your CRM or booking software.
GST and paying in rupees
Meta’s rate card does not mention tax, and Interakt lists its plans “+ taxes”. The examples below add 18% GST, the standard rate on digital services in India; check the tax line on your invoice. GST-registered businesses can usually claim it as input tax credit.
Since 1 January 2026, Meta bills eligible customers in India in rupees: solution providers and directly integrated businesses whose Sold-To country in Billing Hub is India. They must move every messaging account to INR by 31 December 2026, or Meta stops delivering those accounts’ messages from 1 January 2027.
Three monthly bills, worked out
All three use Meta’s list rates for Indian numbers shown above. None of these messages go out in a free entry point window.
1. A clinic sending 3,000 appointment reminders
| Line | Calculation | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Reminders (utility) | 3,000 × ₹0.115 | ₹345.00 |
| 800 replies to patients (service) | Within the 1,000 free | ₹0.00 |
| GST at 18% | ₹345.00 × 0.18 | ₹62.10 |
| Meta fees for the month | ₹407.10 |
On Interakt’s Growth plan: 3,000 × ₹0.150 = ₹450 plus the ₹2,799 plan, so ₹3,249 before taxes. The plan is most of the bill.
2. An online store with offers, order updates and support
| Line | Calculation | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Offer broadcasts (marketing) | 10,000 × ₹0.8631 | ₹8,631.00 |
| Order and shipping updates (utility) | 5,000 × ₹0.115 | ₹575.00 |
| 3,000 support replies (service) | First 1,000 free, then 2,000 × ₹0.115 | ₹230.00 |
| GST at 18% | ₹9,436.00 × 0.18 | ₹1,698.48 |
| Meta fees for the month | ₹11,134.48 |
Marketing is about 91% of the message cost, so better-targeted broadcasts save the most. At AiSensy’s rates the same volume is ₹10,900 + ₹725 + ₹290 = ₹11,915 before GST.
3. An Indian app sending 50,000 login OTPs
| Line | Calculation | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| OTPs (authentication) | 50,000 × ₹0.115 | ₹5,750.00 |
| GST at 18% | ₹5,750.00 × 0.18 | ₹1,035.00 |
| Meta fees for the month | ₹6,785.00 |
50,000 is below the 7.5 lakh tier threshold, so the list rate applies. A foreign business on the authentication-international rate would pay 50,000 × ₹2.4971 = ₹1,24,855 before GST.
Keeping the bill down
Get the template category right: a reminder sent as marketing costs about 7.5 times the same reminder sent as utility. Compare a BSP’s plan fee with its per-message margin at your real volume. Our WhatsApp automation service covers BSP choice, templates, reminders and chatbots, and AI for small businesses covers WhatsApp alongside Tally, Zoho and Google Workspace.
Frequently asked questions
What is the WhatsApp Business API price in India?
Meta charges per delivered message. For Indian numbers, from 1 October 2026: ₹0.8631 per marketing message and ₹0.115 per utility, authentication or service message, with the first 1,000 service messages free each month per business phone number. Your BSP’s fees and GST come on top. Rates last checked 13 Oct 2026.
Are utility messages still free inside the 24-hour window?
No. Meta made them free on 1 July 2025 and started charging for them again on 1 October 2026. Only messages in a free entry point window and the first 1,000 service messages a month are free.
What is the WhatsApp chatbot price in India?
Add three things: the messages (₹0.115 per service reply after the free 1,000, or $2.00 per million tokens if you use Meta Business Agent), the chatbot tool (for example AiSensy’s chatbot builder at ₹2,500 a month) and any custom build or integration work. See AI chatbot development.
Is the WhatsApp Business app free?
Yes. The app store listing says it is free to download and use, with a mix of free and paid features. The per-message rates in this guide apply to the API, not the app.
Do Meta’s rates include GST?
Meta’s rate card does not mention tax, and Interakt lists its plans plus taxes. Our examples add 18% GST; check the tax line on your own invoice.
Sources
- Meta, Pricing on the WhatsApp Business Platform (opens in a new tab) (page updated 30 Sep 2026), including the INR and USD list rates and INR volume tiers linked there, effective 1 Oct 2026. Accessed 13 Oct 2026.
- Meta, Authentication-international rates (opens in a new tab). Accessed 13 Oct 2026.
- Interakt, Pricing (opens in a new tab). Accessed 13 Oct 2026.
- AiSensy, WhatsApp Business API pricing plans (opens in a new tab). Accessed 13 Oct 2026.
- Gupshup, Self-serve WhatsApp API pricing (opens in a new tab). Accessed 13 Oct 2026.
- Twilio, WhatsApp pricing (opens in a new tab) (“pricing current as of September 2026”). Accessed 13 Oct 2026.
- WATI, Pricing (opens in a new tab). Checked 13 Oct 2026; no figures could be confirmed.
- Apple App Store, WhatsApp Business (opens in a new tab) listing. Accessed 13 Oct 2026.