How Much Does India Have To Pay For WhatsApp Messages From October 1?

Starting October 1, Meta will begin charging businesses for messages sent through the WhatsApp Business Platform, after previously offering a free monthly allowance. Ordinary WhatsApp users will not be affected by these new charges. Meta charges only for messages delivered by businesses to users, not just those sent. The changes apply to companies utilizing the Business Platform, an API used by firms and software partners to handle customer support and alerts. Personal messaging is excluded from this pricing structure.

The new pricing for India begins October 1, with service messages costing Rs. 0.115 each, and authentication messages also at Rs. 0.115. Previously, marketing messages were at a rate of Rs. 0.8631, but this has remained unchanged. Authentication messages sent from international businesses to Indian numbers, known as OTPs, will cost Rs. 2.4971. Despite the name, service messages will be billed at the same rate as utility and authentication messages, maintaining the Rs. 0.115 per message.

Businesses are entitled to 1,000 free service messages per month per phone number. Any messages beyond this free allowance must be paid for. A business employing several phone numbers will receive the free allowance on each number. The cost for going over the free limit is calculated per 1,000 messages, amounting to approximately Rs.

115. For instance, if a company sends 5,000 replies from a single number, they would be charged for the 4,000 messages exceeding the free allowance, totaling Rs. 460. A larger support bot sending 50,000 replies would need to pay for 49,000 messages, costing Rs. 5,635. Additionally, Goods and Services Tax (GST) of 18 percent is applied to these charges.

Businesses must have a payment method on file by September 30, or their service messages may cease to be delivered after October 1. The cost of these charges may also include fees from third-party platforms used by businesses.