What WhatsApp really costs, message by message
Meta charges per delivered message, by message type and the customer's country. Here are the current rates, what's free, and what a typical month costs. Contlo passes these rates through with no markup.
Marketing
Promotions, launches, offers, cart reminders and win-back.
“Your cart is waiting, 10% off today”
Utility
Updates about something the customer already did: orders, shipping, COD confirmation.
“Your order #4821 has shipped”
Authentication
One-time passcodes for login and verification.
“Your code is 482193”
Service
Free-form replies within 24 hours of the customer's last message. 1,000 a month are free.
“Yes, the bedsheet is 100% cotton”
Rates by country
Cost per delivered message. Countries not listed fall into a Meta region; check Meta's rate card for the full list.
| Market | Marketing | Utility | Authentication | Service |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IndiaIndian businesses are billed in INR. | ₹0.8631 | ₹0.115 | ₹0.115 | ₹0.115 |
| North America | $0.025 | $0.0034 | $0.0034 | $0.0034 |
| United Arab Emirates | $0.0576 | $0.0157 | $0.0157 | $0.0157 |
| Saudi Arabia | $0.0576 | $0.0107 | $0.0107 | $0.0107 |
| Mexico | $0.0397 | $0.0085 | $0.0085 | $0.0085 |
| Brazil | $0.0625 | $0.0068 | $0.0068 | $0.0068 |
| Spain | $0.0707 | $0.02 | $0.02 | $0.02 |
| France | $0.0859 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 |
| Germany | $0.1365 | $0.055 | $0.055 | $0.055 |
| Colombia | $0.0125 | $0.0008 | $0.0008 | $0.0008 |
| Argentina | $0.0618 | $0.026 | $0.026 | $0.026 |
| Chile | $0.0889 | $0.02 | $0.02 | $0.02 |
| Peru | $0.0703 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 |
| Kuwait | $0.0792 | $0.044 | $0.044 | $0.044 |
| Qatar | $0.0341 | $0.012 | $0.012 | $0.012 |
| Egypt | $0.0644 | $0.0036 | $0.0036 | $0.0036 |
| Morocco | $0.0414 | $0.023 | $0.023 | $0.023 |
| Rest of Latin America | $0.074 | $0.0113 | $0.0113 | $0.0113 |
| Rest of Middle East | $0.0392 | $0.0091 | $0.0091 | $0.0091 |
| Rest of Western Europe | $0.0592 | $0.0171 | $0.0171 | $0.0171 |
| Rest of Central & Eastern Europe | $0.086 | $0.0212 | $0.0212 | $0.0212 |
Meta rates effective October 1, 2026. Utility and authentication rates drop at high monthly volume (Meta volume tiers). Taxes extra where applicable. Source: Meta rate card
What you don't pay for
- Messages from customersCustomers messaging you is always free.
- 1,000 service replies a monthPer business phone number. After that, service replies are billed at the utility rate.
- Click-to-WhatsApp adsWhen someone messages you from a Click-to-WhatsApp ad, your replies are free during the free entry point window.
- Undelivered messagesMeta bills only messages that are delivered.
A month for a D2C brand in India
A brand sending two broadcasts a month, cart reminders, and order and COD updates:
- Broadcasts and cart reminders20,000 × ₹0.8631
- ₹17,262
- Order, shipping and COD updates15,000 × ₹0.115
- ₹1,725
- Login codes2,000 × ₹0.115
- ₹230
- Paid to Meta for the month
- ₹19,217
Plus taxes. Service replies within the free 1,000 cost nothing. On Contlo you pay exactly this to Meta: no markup.
How Contlo charges for WhatsApp
Contlo is a direct WhatsApp Cloud API provider, so there is no middleman between you and Meta.
- Meta's rates passed through with no markup
- Software plans from $0, published on our pricing page
- No per-conversation or per-contact platform fee
Frequently asked questions
How much does the WhatsApp Business API cost in India?+
At Meta's current rates, ₹0.8631 per marketing message and ₹0.115 per utility, authentication or service message, billed in INR. The first 1,000 service messages a month are free.
Is WhatsApp still priced per conversation?+
No. Meta moved to per-message pricing on 1 July 2025. Each delivered template message is charged by category and country.
Are customer replies free?+
Messages customers send you are always free. Your free-form replies within 24 hours are service messages: 1,000 a month are free per number, then they are billed at the utility rate.
How often do the rates change?+
Meta can change rates only on 1 January, 1 April, 1 July and 1 October, with at least a month's notice. We update this page after every change.
Does Contlo add a markup?+
No. Contlo is a direct WhatsApp Cloud API provider. You pay Meta's rates and your Contlo software plan, nothing else.
More WhatsApp playbooks
Abandoned cart recovery
Bring shoppers back to checkout on WhatsApp
Learn moreCOD confirmation and RTO reduction
Confirm cash-on-delivery orders before they ship
Learn moreWhatsApp broadcasts
Campaigns to segments, not blasts to everyone
Learn moreWhatsApp automation for e-commerce
Every order update and follow-up, automated
Learn morePay Meta's rate. Nothing more.
Connect your WhatsApp number to Contlo free and start sending today.