WhatsApp to charge businesses per message from October 1

Meta has announced that it will begin charging businesses for certain messages sent through the WhatsApp Business Platform starting October 1, 2026. This change marks a shift in the platform’s pricing structure, as Meta moves toward a per-message model for services that were previously free.

The new policy will affect companies that use the official WhatsApp Business Platform—formerly the WhatsApp Business API—to manage customer conversations at scale. This includes banks, fintechs, e-commerce companies, telecom operators, logistics firms, and large retailers. Ordinary WhatsApp users and small businesses utilizing the standard WhatsApp Business app on their phones will not be impacted.

Under the current system, businesses can send free-form service messages and certain utility messages within a 24-hour customer service window without charge. Starting October 1, these messages will be billed on a per-message basis. Meta’s developer documentation confirms that this change aligns service and utility messages with the existing pricing model for template messages.

Meta has advised businesses and Solution Providers to ensure a payment method is on file by September 30, 2026. Failure to do so will result in the suspension of service message delivery beginning October 1.

For Nigerian businesses, the cost for a chargeable utility or service message is expected to be approximately $0.0101 (roughly ₦14 at an exchange rate of ₦1,340 to the dollar). Marketing messages remain more expensive at about $0.062 per message (approximately ₦84). These costs represent Meta’s fees; businesses utilizing third-party providers may incur additional charges.

While the cost per individual message may seem modest, the cumulative financial impact could be significant for companies sending high volumes of messages monthly. As WhatsApp continues to serve as a critical communication channel for Nigerian businesses—particularly for transaction updates, customer support, and logistics—companies will need to account for these new expenses in their operating budgets.