WhatsApp has long been one of the most popular communication channels for businesses, but the second half of 2026 will bring several changes. Companies that have built their sales funnels and customer support around the familiar model of free chat windows will now be forced to reevaluate their budgets, as Meta* has announced a major pricing overhaul that will affect virtually every business account on the platform.
In June of this year, the company announced the launch of Meta Business Agent, its own AI tool for automating sales and customer support, and with this new feature came the countdown to two key dates this fall that will change the economics of the messenger for millions of companies around the world.
This means that starting October 1, businesses will have to pay for every incoming message, which used to be free. This will be followed by a price increase for WhatsApp, so we recommend calculating the cost of the messaging service in advance. In this article, we’ll break down Meta’s upcoming pricing changes so you can plan your budget with confidence and avoid unpleasant surprises down the road.
Table of Contents
Current prices
As of today, Meta charges companies for messages sent to users on WhatsApp according to the following rates:
• For template messages, which include marketing, service and authentication messages.
• For non-template messages sent via Meta Business Agent, where Meta charges per message using a flat token-based fee that covers both AI processing (token consumption) and message delivery.
Non-template messages can only be sent within a 24-hour support window, which opens and resets with each new user message. Thus, non-template messages can only be used to respond to users, not to initiate communications with them.
Categories of non-template messages
Currently, responses to users in the form of non-template messages fall under the “Service Messages” category. With the launch of Meta Business Agent, these messages will fall into one of two categories: “Service” (the existing category) or “Meta Business Agent” (the new category).
- Meta Business Agent messages are created using the Meta Business Agent platform. This will be a new message category on the Meta platform.
- Service messages, just as they are today, can be created by a person—for example, a customer support representative—or by a third-party AI solution. This is an existing message category on the Meta platform. Any message that is not a template and was not created in Meta Business Agent is a service message.
Upcoming changes
According to Meta, the company is implementing these changes to enhance the value these messages provide to businesses. The new pricing structure will be as follows:
- Starting August 1, 2026, Meta will charge for messages in Meta Business Agent exclusively using tokens. The fee amount depends on the number of tokens used to process the customer’s message and generate a response.
- Starting October 1, 2026, Meta will charge for each service message, similar to how Meta charges for template messages. These messages have been free since November 1, 2024.
- Starting October 1, 2026, Meta will charge for each service message sent in response to users (during the 24-hour support business day). These messages have been free since July 1, 2025.
Pricing for messages in Meta Business Agent
- You are charged for each message delivered.
- Billing is calculated per message based on a flat rate per token, which includes processing by the AI agent (token usage) and message delivery.
- The flat rate is $2 per 1 million tokens. A single message typically uses between 20,000 and 25,000 tokens, which is approximately 4-5 cents per message.
- The cost of a single message depends on its complexity. Simple responses consume fewer tokens and cost less, while complex responses require more tokens and cost more.
The table below lists examples of interactions and their approximate costs:
Request type | Example of user message | Messages to user | Tokens used | Estimated cost |
Standard request | “What time do you open?” | 4 | ~80 000 (~20 000 per message) | ~16-20 cents |
Complex request | “I’m stuck on the third build stage. Could you help me get through it?” | 10 | ~250 000 (~25 000 per message) | ~40-50 cents |
Service messages
- You are charged for each message delivered
- Every message is counted
- Rates vary by market, and the cost of service messages is similar to that of administrative and authentication messages.
- The cost per message is fixed, in accordance with the published rates.
- There are no restrictions on sending service messages, as Meta does not impose tier-based limits on service messages, except for operational and authentication messages.
- Frequency of updates. Meta may update rates quarterly in accordance with its pricing calendar. Meta reserves the right to publish rates effective October 1, 2026—including rates for service messages: no later than September 1, 2026.
Cost calculation example
Below is an example of how a company and a user interact. It begins with the company sending a marketing template using Meta Business Agent to respond to the user’s questions, forwarding the request to a support representative, and ultimately sending an order confirmation.
Here are the changes that will affect pricing:
- Currently, Meta charges only for one marketing template message.
- Starting August 1, 2026, Meta will charge for three messages (one marketing message and two messages via Meta Business Agent).
- Starting October 1, 2026, Meta will charge for each message sent by a company—five messages, therefore five payments (one marketing message, two messages via Meta Business Agent, one service message, and one system message).
Cost comparison: service messages and messages via Meta Business Agent*
*Note: The table below shows the estimated costs of sending 10,000 AI-generated reply messages to users in Brazil. Cost estimates for third-party AI solutions are based on publicly available information. Message delivery costs are calculated based on current rates for sending service and authentication messages to users in Brazil.
Service (low complexity) | Service (high complexity) | Meta Business Agent (high complexity) | |
Cost of AI Agent | ~2 cents per message | ~9 cents per message | ~4–5 cents per message ($2/1 million tokens × ~25,000 tokens) as a single fee in Meta Business Agent |
Message delivery* | 0,68 cents per message | 0,68 cents per message | |
Total per 1 message | ~2-3 cents | ~9-10 cents | ~4-5 cents |
Total per 10,000 messages | ~$268 | ~$968 | ~$400-500 |
*Note: The message delivery rate of 0.68 cents applies under the current published rate for sending service and authentication messages to users in Brazil.
Important!
- Starting October 1, 2026, Meta will charge for any message that is not a template.
If a message is sent via Meta Business Agent, it will be charged according to the Meta Business Agent rates. If a message is not sent via Meta Business Agent, it will be charged as a service message. - Only one charge applies per message sent.
A message sent to a user (whether a template or non-template message) falls into only one category and is charged according to that category’s rate. A non-template message is charged either as a Meta Business Agent message or as a service message, but under no circumstances is it charged under both rates simultaneously. The “one-fee” rule also applies to non-template messages with promotional content, as Meta does not charge an additional fee as it does when using marketing templates. - Not every message in Meta Business Agent costs the same.
You pay in proportion to the value you receive—quick replies cost less, while complex, multi-step problem-solving solutions cost more. - The 72-hour free window for sending messages remains unchanged.
Messages sent during the free 72-hour window using, for example, the “Click to Chat on WhatsApp” buttons or call-to-action buttons on Facebook are still delivered for free. As of August 1, 2026, payment for messages in Meta Business Agent will be accepted in the form of tokens.
What these changes mean
The upcoming changes logically fit into Meta’s overall strategy—the company is simultaneously introducing fees for incoming messages and actively promoting its own AI tool, in which AI message processing and delivery are combined into a single transparent rate.
Essentially, businesses now have a choice: pay for each service message at the regional rate, or move some of their conversations to Meta Business Agent, where the cost is determined solely by the number of tokens and does not depend on the customer’s location. This approach underscores that Meta is consistently transforming the WhatsApp Business Platform from a simple message delivery channel into a full-fledged business platform, with a primary focus on AI.
What companies should do
Companies still have time to prepare, and it makes sense to calculate the volume of service messages over the past few months now and estimate how much they will cost after October 1 under the regional rates.
It wouldn’t hurt to test Meta Business Agent during the remaining free period to understand the actual token consumption for a typical conversation and compare it to the cost of the current support model. It’s also worth noting that Meta promises to publish the exact regional rates for service messages and service templates within the chat window no later than September 1, 2026. It’s worth keeping this date in mind when planning your budget.
Conclusion
To sum up, Meta is seriously rethinking its approach to message pricing for companies and businesses. It’s clear that the coming months will be a time when businesses sit down to review their budgets and customer communication strategies. For our part, we’ll be closely monitoring developments and will be the first to report on any significant changes to the company’s pricing policy.
Here at GREEN-API, we’re keeping up with the latest news and will keep you informed of all significant updates. We’re also constantly working on adding new features to our service to make your work more convenient. Follow our blog to stay informed about new and useful features on WhatsApp!