A significant change has come into effect for WhatsApp Business users who conduct commercial activities, introduced by Meta. Starting from October 1, 2026, Meta will begin charging for sending service messages. Furthermore, the delivery of service messages may be suspended for business accounts that are not linked to a payment method.
Meta previously required solution providers using the WhatsApp Business platform, as well as businesses with direct integration, to add a payment method. According to the company's statement, accounts that do not add a payment method by September 30, 2026, will not be able to receive service message delivery starting from October 1.
Previously, some service messages in WhatsApp Business were sent free of charge. However, starting October 1, a fee will be charged for each message. This change primarily applies to non-template messages sent within the 24-hour customer service window after a customer sends a message. Service messages can contain messages sent by a customer support agent or a third-party artificial intelligence system.
This change will affect businesses using the WhatsApp Business platform through solution providers, as well as businesses with direct integration. If such enterprises do not link a payment method to their messaging account, the delivery of their service messages may be stopped after the introduction of new fees. Therefore, companies need to check the payment settings of their WhatsApp Business accounts.
Meta will now charge for the delivery, not the sending, of service messages. The cost may vary depending on the market. According to Meta, the price of a service message will correspond to the tariffs for messages ensuring utility and authentication in that market. There are no volume tiers provided. Businesses can only send these non-template messages during an open 24-hour customer service window, which is activated or reset after receiving a message from the customer.
It should be noted that the fee for service messages differs from the cost of Meta Business Agent. The company has already implemented separate token-based pricing for Meta Business Agent messages. Meta emphasizes that the same message will not be charged both as a service and as a business agent.
The current free entry window in WhatsApp remains in effect. If a customer enters WhatsApp through advertising that opens a WhatsApp chat upon clicking, message delivery in this window will not be charged. Although using Meta Business Agent may require payment via tokens, after these changes, it has become critical for businesses using WhatsApp Business to check their payment methods and messaging settings.