What applies since October 1, 2026
On October 1, 2026, Meta started charging for service messages on the WhatsApp Business Platform: non-template replies sent inside the 24-hour customer service window, whether written by a person or by a third-party AI. These messages had been free since November 1, 2024. On the same date, utility templates sent in response to users inside an open window became billable again; they had been free since July 1, 2025. Charges apply per delivered message and, in each market, match the utility and authentication rate, with no volume tiers for service messages.
The 1,000-message free tier
Each business phone number gets 1,000 free service messages per month. Charging starts with the 1,001st delivered message, and unused messages do not roll over. The 72-hour free entry point window, opened when a user arrives through a Click to WhatsApp ad or a Facebook Page call-to-action button on the Android or iOS app, still makes messages sent during that period free. Messages users send to the business are not charged.
Meta Business Agent: per-token billing since August
Meta Business Agent, Meta's own AI agent for customer service, launched on July 1, 2026 as a new message category and has been billed per token since August 1, at $2 per million tokens, in a single charge that covers processing and delivery. Each non-template message receives only one charge: if Meta Business Agent generates it, it falls into that category; if a human agent or another vendor's AI writes it, it is a service message. Unlike service messages, Meta Business Agent messages are not free inside the 72-hour window.
BRL billing in Brazil
Businesses and providers whose Sold-To country is Brazil in Billing Hub have been able to create WhatsApp Business accounts (WABAs) in reais since July 2026; since July 16, all eligible customers have access, and invoices are issued by Facebook Brasil. The deadline matters: all WABAs of these customers must be in BRL by June 30, 2027, because starting July 1, 2027 Meta will stop delivering messages from eligible accounts that have not migrated. Currency migration APIs have been available since June 1, 2026.
What to do now
For teams automating customer service on WhatsApp, the budget is no longer just the tool: it now includes a cost per message. Measure how many service messages each number sends per month, compare that with the 1,000 free allowance, model the overage with your market's rate card and confirm an active payment method in Billing Hub. Flows with many short, redundant messages now weigh on the budget; consolidating replies may pay off more than switching vendors. Read also what service message charges mean for small businesses. If your company wants to redesign AI-powered support with this cost in mind, see our AI for business page.
Sources
Meta for Developers: Pricing on the WhatsApp Business Platform; Meta for Developers: pricing updates for Meta Business Agent, service and utility messages.