Customer support on WhatsApp has become costlier starting October 1; a fee will be charged for every service message..

WhatsApp Business has become the top choice for brands of all sizes to connect directly with customers and provide instant support. However, managing business operations via this platform is set to become more expensive. Meta is implementing a major change to its messaging policy starting October 1, 2026. Under this new policy, the feature allowing businesses to send "service messages" on the platform entirely free of charge is being discontinued. This means that if a customer initiates a conversation by asking a question or lodging a complaint, the replies sent by the business in response will now fall under the billing scope.

According to Meta, the rates for these service messages will be aligned with the rates for utility and authentication messages in each respective market.

What are service messages?
Service messages are non-template messages sent to a customer by a company's customer care executive or a third-party AI system. Such interactions are only possible if the customer initiates the message first, thereby opening a 24-hour customer service window. Companies cannot use these messages to initiate a new chat themselves.

Previously, this service was free, and since July 1, 2025, certain utility messages within the 24-hour window were also being sent without cost. However, starting October 1, charges will apply to both service and utility messages sent within this window. This will directly impact companies that rely heavily on WhatsApp for communicating order statuses, returns, complaints, and general customer care.

What will the charges be in India?
Meta finalized the rate list for the Indian market on September 1. In India, billing for Meta Business Agent accounts will be conducted directly in Indian Rupees, and the rates for service messages have been set to match those of utility and authentication messages. Additionally, a separate pricing model has been established for Meta's own AI-powered 'Meta Business Agent,' which has been operating on a token-based system since August 1st. The global rate is set at $2 per million tokens. A typical conversation consumes an average of 20,000 to 25,000 tokens, resulting in a cost of approximately 4 to 5 cents per message. If the conversation is longer or more complex, the charges will increase in line with token consumption.

**Fee Applicable to Every Message**
Meta has also clarified that companies will not be charged twice for the same message. If a reply is provided by a human or a third-party AI, it will be counted under the per-message service charge. Conversely, if the response comes from Meta's Business Agent, only the token charge will apply. For instance, if a conversation includes one marketing message, two Meta Business Agent replies, one service reply, and one utility message, the new rules will result in separate charges for all five components; under the old system, only the marketing message would have been billed.

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