If you're getting the WhatsApp Business API for a business in India, you're paying for two separate things. Most pricing pages only show you one of them. This guide covers both: Meta's official rates for India in 2026, the change that took effect on 1 October 2026, and worked examples of a real monthly bill.
The two parts of every WhatsApp API bill
- The software. You need a platform to use the API: an inbox for your team, campaign tools, templates and automation. That's your provider's subscription. With Mywa it's a flat ₹999/month or ₹9,999/year (+18% GST).
- The messages. Meta charges for the messages you send, at a rate set by message type and the customer's country.
The catch is in the second part. Some providers buy messages from Meta and resell them to you at their own rate. Others, like Mywa, pass on Meta's rate with no markup: Meta bills your own WhatsApp Business Account directly. Two plans with the same monthly fee can cost very different amounts once you start sending.
Meta's WhatsApp rates for India (2026)
Since July 2025, Meta charges per delivered template message. The price depends on the template's category. These are the rates for messages to Indian (+91) numbers, effective 1 January 2026:
| Message type | What it's for | Rate (before GST) | With 18% GST | Per 1,000 (before GST) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marketing | Offers, launches, re-engagement, newsletters | ₹0.8631 | ₹1.018 | ₹863.10 |
| Utility | Order updates, payment reminders, booking confirmations | ₹0.115 | ₹0.136 | ₹115 |
| Authentication | One-time passwords (OTPs) | ₹0.115 | ₹0.136 | ₹115 |
| Service | Free-form replies inside the 24-hour window | ₹0.115 from 1 Oct 2026, after a free monthly allowance | ₹0.136 | ₹115 |
A few things are free:
- Messages customers send you. Incoming messages are never charged.
- Click-to-WhatsApp ad conversations. When someone messages you from a click-to-WhatsApp ad or a Facebook Page button and you reply within 24 hours, a free entry point window opens. Every message in it is free, templates included. It has been 72 hours long, and Meta is extending it to up to 7 days for click-to-message ads.
Utility and authentication rates also drop at high volume: Meta applies volume tiers that reset every month. Marketing messages don't get volume discounts.
Meta revises rates from time to time. Always check Meta's pricing page for the current rate card, or plug your own numbers into our WhatsApp pricing calculator.
What changed on 1 October 2026
Until now, replying to customers inside the 24-hour customer service window was free. That ended on 1 October 2026:
- Service messages are now charged. Free-form replies inside the 24-hour window are billed at the utility rate for the customer's country. In India that's ₹0.115 + GST. It applies whether a person sends the reply or a bot or AI tool does.
- There's a free allowance. The first 1,000 service messages each month are free. Most Meta partners report the allowance is per business phone number; at least one describes it as per WhatsApp Business Account, so check with your provider if you run several numbers.
- No volume discounts on service messages. They're a flat per-message rate.
- Utility templates inside an open window are charged again. They had been free inside the window since July 2025.
What this means in practice: a business sending fewer than 1,000 replies a month per number won't notice. A busy support team will. If your agents send 6,000 replies a month from one number, the 5,000 above the allowance cost about ₹575 + GST. That's not much, but it's worth knowing when you plan how chats are handled.
Worked example 1: a D2C brand
An online store sends a weekly offer and order updates, and its team answers customer questions. In a typical month:
- 5,000 marketing messages (offers to opted-in customers)
- 3,000 utility messages (order confirmations and shipping updates)
- 4,000 service replies (customer questions)
| Line | Calculation | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Marketing | 5,000 × ₹0.8631 | ₹4,315.50 |
| Utility | 3,000 × ₹0.115 | ₹345.00 |
| Service replies | (4,000 − 1,000 free) × ₹0.115 | ₹345.00 |
| Meta subtotal | ₹5,005.50 | |
| GST on messages (18%) | ₹900.99 | |
| Mywa software | ₹999 + 18% GST | ₹1,178.82 |
| Total for the month | ₹7,085.31 |
Marketing messages are 86% of the message bill here. That's typical, and it's why the per-message rate matters more than the plan price.
Worked example 2: a clinic sending reminders
A clinic sends appointment reminders and answers a few questions. No marketing campaigns:
- 2,000 utility messages (reminders)
- 800 service replies, all within the 1,000 free allowance
| Line | Calculation | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Utility | 2,000 × ₹0.115 | ₹230.00 |
| Service replies | Within free allowance | ₹0 |
| GST on messages (18%) | ₹41.40 | |
| Mywa software | ₹999 + 18% GST | ₹1,178.82 |
| Total for the month | ₹1,450.22 |
For a business like this, the software fee is most of the bill. A low, flat platform price matters more than anything else.
How much do provider markups add?
Providers that resell messages list their own per-message rates. On their public pricing pages (checked 27 September 2026), listed marketing rates for Indian numbers included:
| Provider | Listed marketing rate | Above Meta's ₹0.8631 | 5,000 marketing messages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meta's rate (Mywa passes this on) | ₹0.8631 | — | ₹4,315.50 |
| Interakt (Growth plan) | ₹0.958 | +11% | ₹4,790.00 |
| AiSensy | ₹1.09 | +26% | ₹5,450.00 |
Providers don't say whether their listed rates include GST, so treat this as an approximate comparison. Prices change, so check the full comparison and each provider's own pricing page before you decide. Over a year, a 26% markup on 5,000 marketing messages a month adds up to about ₹13,600, which is more than a year of Mywa.
Seven ways to lower your WhatsApp API bill
- Pick a provider with zero markup. Messages are usually the biggest part of the bill, so start there.
- Use the right category. Order, payment and booking updates belong in utility templates, which cost about a seventh of marketing. Meta reviews categories, though, so a promotional message labelled as utility will be re-categorised or rejected.
- Run click-to-WhatsApp ads. Conversations from those ads come with a free messaging window, templates included.
- Segment your campaigns. Sending to engaged, relevant customers costs less and protects your number's quality rating. Blocks and reports from untargeted blasts can limit how much you're allowed to send.
- Answer completely in fewer messages. Now that service replies count after the free allowance, saved quick replies that answer the whole question help.
- Watch the volume tiers if you send large amounts of utility or OTP messages. Rates drop as monthly volume rises.
- Move your account to INR billing. If your business is in India, Meta is moving WhatsApp billing to rupees. Eligible WhatsApp Business Accounts must be migrated to INR by 31 December 2026, or Meta will stop delivering their messages from 1 January 2027.
The bottom line
To estimate your WhatsApp Business API cost in India, add three things: your provider's monthly fee, your expected marketing, utility and service volumes at Meta's rates, and 18% GST. Then compare providers on that total, including any per-user fees and message markup.
Mywa is ₹999/month for every feature and up to 5 team members, with Meta's message rates passed on at zero markup. You can estimate your own bill here.
Sources: Meta: Pricing on the WhatsApp Business Platform · WATI: pricing changes for service messages and click-to-message ads · Landbot: WhatsApp Business API pricing change, October 2026 · Provider rates from Interakt and AiSensy pricing pages, checked 27 September 2026.