Meta Now Charges for WhatsApp Replies: What Changed on 1 October 2026

Replies to customers on WhatsApp used to be free. Since 1 October 2026, Meta charges for them after the first 1,000 each month on each number. Here is what changed, what is still free, and what it costs in India.

For years, replying to a customer on WhatsApp cost nothing. If a customer messaged you, you could answer them free of charge for the next 24 hours. That changed on 1 October 2026.

This post explains the change in plain words: what Meta now charges for, what is still free, and how to work out what it will cost you.

What changed

Meta now charges for service messages — the replies you send while a customer's 24-hour window is open — after a free allowance.

• The first 1,000 replies each month are free, on each WhatsApp number. From the 1,001st reply in a month, Meta charges for each one.
• The allowance is per number. If you have two WhatsApp numbers, each gets its own 1,000.
• It starts again every month. Unused free replies don't carry over to the next month.
• The rate is the same as a utility message. In India that is ₹0.115 per reply.

Meta also started charging for utility templates sent inside the 24-hour window (for example, an order update sent while the customer is chatting with you). These used to be free inside the window. They are now charged at the utility rate, ₹0.115 in India.

What is still free

• Replies inside a free entry point window. When a customer messages you from a Click-to-WhatsApp ad or a Facebook Page button and you reply within 24 hours, a 72-hour window opens in which every message is free.
• Calls customers make to you. Only calls your business places are charged (see our guide to WhatsApp calling charges).
• Messages that are never delivered. Meta only charges a message once it reaches the customer.

What it costs: three examples

The maths is simple: take the replies above 1,000 on each number, and multiply by ₹0.115.

Who bills you

Meta does. Meta charges the payment method on your own WhatsApp Business Account — MotherBot does not add anything on top. Meta has said it will stop delivering replies on accounts that have no valid payment method once charges apply, so it is worth checking your payment method in Meta Business Suite.

How MotherBot handles it

• Your budget counts replies. Settings → Budget includes replies once they are delivered. Failed or undelivered messages are never counted.
• Reports show each message's cost using Meta's own verdict on whether it was charged — so your first 1,000 free replies show as free.
• Free-form broadcasts show their cost. A broadcast sent as replies inside customers' 24-hour windows now shows the reply rate, with a note about the free 1,000.
• The [WhatsApp pricing page](/whatsapp-pricing) has a calculator with replies, templates and calls.

How to keep reply costs down

• Answer common questions with quick replies or a chatbot menu so one message does the job of three.
• Group information into one message instead of sending several short ones.
• Use Click-to-WhatsApp ads for campaigns where you expect long conversations — the 72-hour window is free.
• Split very busy teams across numbers only if it suits how you work — each number gets its own 1,000 free replies.

Frequently asked questions

Are replies to customers still free on WhatsApp?

The first 1,000 replies each month on each WhatsApp number are free. From the 1,001st, Meta charges ₹0.115 per reply in India. This started on 1 October 2026.

Does the 1,000 free replies allowance roll over?

No. It resets at the start of every month, and unused free replies are lost.

Is the free allowance per account or per number?

Per WhatsApp number. Each number you connect gets its own 1,000 free replies a month.

Are utility templates inside the 24-hour window free?

Not any more. Since 1 October 2026, Meta charges utility templates sent inside the window at the utility rate (₹0.115 in India).

Am I charged for a reply that fails?

No. Meta only charges a message once it is delivered.