How WhatsApp Business API pricing works
WhatsApp isn't priced per message like SMS — it's priced per conversation, and the category of the conversation sets the rate. Understanding that is the difference between a WhatsApp bill that makes sense and one that surprises you.
Conversations, categories, and the window
WhatsApp charges per conversation — a 24-hour thread between you and a customer — rather than per message. Inside that 24-hour window you can exchange as many messages as you like for the one charge, which is why a back-and-forth support chat costs the same as a single message.
The rate depends on the category that opened the conversation. Marketingconversations cost the most, because they're promotional. Utility conversations — order updates, alerts — cost less. Authentication conversations carry login codes. A customer-initiated service conversation, where they message you first, is the cheapest tier and sometimes free.
There are free entry points too: conversations that start from a click-to-WhatsApp ad or a Facebook-page call-to-action open a free window, and a number of service conversations a month are typically free. The detail of these changes over time as Meta adjusts the model, so we keep your setup current.
The practical takeaway: send utility and authentication where you can, keep marketing for when it earns its higher rate, and let customer-initiated chats do the cheap work. We show your specific per-conversation rates by category on the pricing page, with GST broken out, so you can model a month before you commit to it.
What’s included
Per conversation
A 24-hour thread, not per message — many messages, one charge.
Highest tier
Promotional conversations carry the top rate.
Lower tier
Order updates and alerts cost less than marketing.
Login codes
A category for one-time codes on WhatsApp.
Customer-initiated
When a customer messages first — the cheapest tier, sometimes free.
Ads and CTAs
Click-to-WhatsApp ads and page CTAs open a free window.
WhatsApp Business API pricing
Real per-message rates with 18% GST broken out. Bulk pricing scales with volume — the more you send, the lower the per-message rate.
| Plan | Base price | GST | Total | Order |
|---|---|---|---|---|
WABAAPI-6M-10K 10,000 msg wallet · Utility 22p / Marketing 97p | ₹18,500 | ₹3,330 | ₹21,830 | |
WABAAPI-6M-20K 20,000 msg wallet · Utility 21p / Marketing 96p | ₹28,500 | ₹5,130 | ₹33,630 | |
WABAAPI-6M-30K 30,000 msg wallet · Utility 20p / Marketing 95p | ₹38,500 | ₹6,930 | ₹45,430 |
- 6-month term. One-time charge (OTC): ₹2,500.
- Platform fee: ₹1,000/month (₹6,000 for 6 months, charged in advance).
- Per-message rates (Utility / Marketing) fall as the wallet size rises; Authentication / OTP billed as Utility.
- Pack total = message wallet + ₹2,500 OTC + ₹6,000 platform fee, with 18% GST on top.
Frequently asked
What counts as one conversation?
A 24-hour window between you and a single customer. The first message in a category opens it, and every message either way for the next 24 hours is included in that one charge. A new conversation — and a new charge — starts only when the window closes and you message again.
Why do marketing messages cost more than utility?
WhatsApp prices by intent. Marketing is promotional and carries the highest rate; utility (transactional updates) and authentication (codes) cost less; a conversation the customer started is the cheapest. Registering each template in the right category isn't just compliance — it's what determines the rate.
Are any conversations free?
Often, yes. Conversations that begin from a click-to-WhatsApp ad or a Facebook-page call-to-action open a free window, and a number of customer-initiated service conversations a month are typically free. Meta adjusts these periodically, so we keep your account aligned with the current model.
What are SMSAPI's WhatsApp rates?
We show per-conversation rates by category on the pricing page, with GST broken out, plus any platform fee. Because the model is per-conversation rather than per-message, the pricing page is the place to model a real month against your expected mix of marketing, utility, and service. As a rule of thumb, the cheapest way to use WhatsApp is to lead with utility and authentication, let customers start service conversations, and reserve marketing for the messages that earn their higher rate.