WhatsApp API pricing calculator for India

The WhatsApp Business API is billed per delivered message in India. Per Meta's rate card, checked 28 September 2026, a marketing message costs ₹0.8631 and a utility or authentication message ₹0.115. From 1 October 2026, service replies beyond 1,000 per number each month also cost ₹0.115. Budget 18% GST on top.

TL;DR

• Meta has billed per delivered message since 1 July 2025. The template's category sets the price.
• India rates, before GST (Meta's rate card, checked 28 Sep 2026): marketing ₹0.8631, utility ₹0.115, authentication ₹0.115.
• From 1 October 2026, service messages cost ₹0.115 after 1,000 free per business phone number a month, and utility templates sent inside the 24-hour window stop being free.
• Meta's rate card doesn't state a GST basis. Budget for 18% on top.
• Volume discounts only start above 25 million utility or 750,000 authentication messages a month. The calculator doesn't apply them.

How does Meta charge for WhatsApp messages in India?#

Meta moved to per-message pricing on 1 July 2025, replacing the old charge per 24-hour conversation. Each delivered message is billed at the rate for its category and for the recipient's country code, so a message that never reaches the phone costs nothing.

There are four categories to budget for:

• Marketing. Offers, product launches, cart reminders and re-engagement. The most expensive category in India.
• Utility. Updates about something the customer already did, such as an order confirmation, a delivery update or a payment receipt.
• Authentication. One-time passwords and login codes.
• Service. Free-form replies, not templates, sent inside an open 24-hour customer service window, which opens each time a customer messages you.

You don't pick the category yourself. Meta assigns it when it approves the template, and a template that mixes an update with a promotion is billed as marketing.

What does each WhatsApp message cost in India right now?#

These are Meta's India rates in rupees from its rate card effective 1 July 2026, as downloaded from Meta's pricing page on 28 September 2026. The last column adds 18% GST as a budgeting estimate.

Meta also lists an authentication-international rate of ₹2.4971 for India. It applies only to businesses Meta treats as international for the Indian market, so the calculator leaves it out.

What changes on 1 October 2026?#

Meta's rate card effective 1 October 2026 keeps the marketing, utility and authentication rates the same for India. Two rules change, per Meta's non-template pricing page, checked 28 September 2026:

1. Service messages are no longer free. Each business phone number gets 1,000 free service messages a month. Every service message after that costs ₹0.115 in India. The allowance doesn't roll over.
2. Utility templates inside the window become chargeable. Before the change, a utility template sent while the customer's 24-hour window was open cost nothing. From 1 October 2026 it costs the normal ₹0.115.

A worked example: 5,000 service messages a month across 2 numbers used to cost nothing. From 1 October 2026, 2,000 of them are free and 3,000 × ₹0.115 = ₹345 before GST. The calculator assumes each number uses its full 1,000, so a lopsided split between numbers would cost a little more.

Is GST included in Meta's WhatsApp rates?#

Meta's rate card doesn't say. It lists each rate without stating whether GST is included or added, which is why the calculator always shows that note beside its total. India levies 18% GST on digital services, so the prudent assumption is 18% on top of Meta's figure: 10,000 marketing messages at ₹8,631 become ₹10,184.58.

Tick +18% GST (estimate) to see the subtotal, the 18% estimate and the total. It applies to Meta's figure only. Your invoice is the final word, since how GST is charged depends on who bills you and how you are registered.

Do volume discounts lower the price?#

Only at very large volumes. Per Meta's rate card, checked 28 September 2026, volume tiers in India start above 25 million utility messages or 750,000 authentication messages a month. Marketing has no volume tier. The calculator uses the list rates throughout and shows a note when your mix reaches a tier, so treat its figure as the upper end for very large senders.

How do I work out my full monthly WhatsApp bill?#

Add up three parts: messages × rate, then GST, then your platform's plan. The calculator works out the first two for Meta's charges, and also shows one GST-inclusive monthly figure for sending the same mix through Relay.

For a fuller guide to the categories, the rate cards and what to ask a platform before you sign up, read WhatsApp Business API pricing in India. If you already use Relay, the Wallet docs explain how message charges come out of your prepaid balance, and the Billing docs cover your plan.