WABA pricing from 01.10.2026: 1,000 free messages and paid Utility templates
WhatsApp Business API pricing from October 1, 2026: free-form messages in the 24-hour window are free only for the first 1,000 per month per number, and Utility templates in the window are charged. How the limit works and what a message costs.
In short. Since October 1, 2026, Meta has changed two things. Free-form messages a business sends inside the 24-hour window are free only for the first 1,000 delivered messages per month per phone number; from the 1,001st they are charged at the Utility template rate. Utility templates sent inside the window are now charged from the first message. Incoming messages from customers are still free, and the 24-hour window itself stays.
What changed
| Message | Before 01.10.2026 | Since 01.10.2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Customer’s message to you | Free | Free |
| Agent’s free-form reply in the 24-hour window | Free | First 1,000 per month per number are free, then charged |
| Bot’s free-form message in the 24-hour window | Free | First 1,000 per month per number are free, then charged |
| Utility template in the 24-hour window | Free | Charged from the first message |
| Utility template outside the window | Charged | Charged |
| Marketing and Authentication templates | Charged | Charged |
You still need a template to message a customer first. The window still opens when the customer writes to you and lasts 24 hours from their last message. The only change is that messaging inside the window is no longer entirely free.
How the 1,000 free messages are counted
Messages are counted, not conversations. If an agent sends “Hello!”, “One moment, let me check”, “Yes, size M is in stock” and a product link, that is four messages out of the 1,000.
Each number has its own 1,000. For example, the “Sales” number sent 2,400 free-form messages in a month and the “Support” number sent 700. On “Sales”, 1,400 messages are charged; on “Support”, none.
The limit resets on the 1st of each month at midnight in your WABA account’s time zone. Unused messages don’t carry over.
Everything that isn’t a template counts: agent replies, bot and AI assistant messages, files, voice messages and interactive messages with buttons. It doesn’t matter whether a person or a bot sent the message. For example, interactive messages from a Kommo Salesbot are not templates, so they use up the 1,000.
Templates are not part of the free 1,000: every delivered template is paid separately.
What a message costs after the first 1,000
The same as a Utility template in the customer’s country. There are no volume discounts for free-form messages. Ask us for the rates for the countries you message — the price depends on the recipient’s country.
What changed for Utility templates
Previously, a Utility template sent in reply to a customer’s message was free. Now it is charged from the first message, both inside and outside the window. The free 1,000 doesn’t apply to templates.
This affects order confirmations, delivery updates, appointment reminders and other notifications sent as Utility templates. If the window is open, it’s cheaper to send such a notification as a regular message: until the number has used its 1,000, it’s free.
When messages are still free
- Incoming messages from customers — always.
- The first 1,000 free-form messages per month per number.
- The customer came from a Click-to-WhatsApp ad on Facebook or Instagram and opened the chat on their phone. For the next 72 hours, all messages are free, including templates.
- Messages sent from the WhatsApp Business app on a number in Coexistence mode — they don’t go through the API and aren’t charged.
Keep an eye on your balance
Paid messages are charged to your WABA balance. If the balance is empty, free-form messages stop being delivered once the 1,000 are used up. Your number is not blocked — messages will go out again as soon as you top up.
- You pay through Radist.Online — top up the WABA templates balance in RadistWeb. See How subscriptions are paid.
- You pay 360dialog directly — top up in your 360dialog account, in the Funds section.
How to avoid overpaying
- Find out how many messages each number sends. Message our support — we’ll check whether you go over 1,000.
- Don’t split replies. One thought sent as five short messages counts as five. One complete reply is better.
- Rework bot flows. A greeting, a question and an instruction can go out as one interactive message with buttons instead of three separate messages.
- Check where your bot sends Utility templates into an open window. If the customer has just written to you, a regular message is cheaper.
FAQ
Are incoming messages charged now?
No. Messages customers send you are free and don’t count toward the 1,000.
Has the 24-hour window been removed?
No. The window opens when a customer writes to you and lasts 24 hours from their last message. You can still reply without a template inside it — it’s just charged after 1,000 messages a month.
Is the 1,000 limit per account or per number?
Per number. If you have three WABA numbers, each gets its own 1,000 — 3,000 free messages a month in total.
Do bot messages count toward the limit?
Yes. It doesn’t matter who sent the message — an agent, a bot or AI. What matters is how: anything sent without a template counts.
Will switching to another provider help?
No. These rules are set by Meta and are the same for every WABA provider.
Where can I see how many of the 1,000 are left?
Message our support — we’ll check your number’s usage for the month.