WhatsApp Business API Pricing in India (2026)
Meta charges per message in India, billed in INR: marketing ₹0.8631, utility ₹0.1150, authentication ₹0.1150 per message (plus 18% GST). Here's the full breakdown, volume discounts, setup costs, and what changes on October 1, 2026.
WhatsApp Business API Rates in India (per message)
Meta's per-message rates for India, effective July 1, 2026, sourced from Meta's official INR rate card.
| Category | Rate (INR / message) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Marketing | ₹0.8631 | Charged on every delivery |
| Utility | ₹0.1150 | Free inside the 24h customer service window; charged outside it. Volume discounts apply. |
| Authentication | ₹0.1150 | Charged outside the service window. Volume discounts apply. |
| Authentication-International | ₹2.4971 | For authentication messages delivered to India from international senders |
| Service | Free* | Non-template replies inside the 24h window |
GST: All rates above are exclusive of 18% GST, which is added to your invoice in India. Budget the rate plus GST (for example, marketing ₹0.8631 becomes ₹1.0185 per message with GST).
*Service messages are free today, and utility messages are free inside an open 24-hour customer service window. Both become chargeable from October 1, 2026. Verify against Meta's official rate card before budgeting.
India Volume-Tier Pricing (Utility & Authentication)
Utility and authentication messages get cheaper as your monthly volume grows, up to a 30% discount off the list rate. Marketing messages are not tiered.
| Discount | Rate (INR) | Utility, monthly volume | Authentication, monthly volume |
|---|---|---|---|
| List rate | ₹0.1150 | 0 – 25,000,000 | 0 – 750,000 |
| -6% | ₹0.1081 | 25M – 50M | 750K – 15M |
| -12% | ₹0.1012 | 50M – 100M | 15M – 20M |
| -18% | ₹0.0943 | 100M – 200M | 20M – 50M |
| -24% | ₹0.0874 | 200M – 300M | 50M – 100M |
| -30% | ₹0.0805 | 300M+ | 100M+ |
Tiered rates apply only to the messages within each tier. Most Indian businesses stay on the list rate for utility (the list band runs to 25M/month), while high-volume OTP senders reach authentication discounts sooner. The authentication-international rate tiers from ₹2.4971 down to ₹1.7480.
What It Costs to Send WhatsApp Messages in India
Meta's fee for marketing messages at ₹0.8631 each, including 18% GST. Your BSP fee is on top.
| Marketing messages / month | Meta fee | + 18% GST | With ChatMaxima ($19 flat) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 | ₹863 | ₹1,019 | ₹1,019 + ₹1,580 = ₹2,599 |
| 10,000 | ₹8,631 | ₹10,185 | ₹10,185 + ₹1,580 = ₹11,765 |
| 100,000 | ₹86,310 | ₹1,01,846 | ₹1,01,846 + ₹1,580 = ₹1,03,426 |
Utility and authentication messages cost far less (₹0.1150 each), and are free inside the customer service window until October 1, 2026. Use the pricing calculator for your exact mix.
Setup Costs & How to Get the WhatsApp API in India
Setup fees
Meta charges nothing to set up the API. Some Indian BSPs add a one-time setup fee (typically ₹0 to ₹25,000). ChatMaxima has no setup fee, you go live on a flat monthly plan.
Green tick is free
The Official Business Account green tick is free from Meta. You apply through your BSP and meet Meta's eligibility criteria. There is no paid fast-track.
What you need
A registered business, a phone number not on a personal WhatsApp account, and a Facebook Business Manager. Your BSP handles the WABA setup, template approval, and API access.
Get started with ChatMaxima's WhatsApp API, setup and onboarding help are included, and most businesses go live in under a day.
Cheapest WhatsApp API Provider in India
Meta's per-message rate is identical whichever BSP you use, so the cheapest provider is the one that adds the least on top.
| Provider | Platform Fee | Markup on Meta's rate |
|---|---|---|
| AiSensy | Free tier available | Per-message markup on top of Meta |
| Interakt | From ~₹999/mo | Meta rates + feature charges |
| Wati | From ~₹2,499/mo | Yes, rates not publicly listed |
| ChatMaxima | ₹1,580 ($19)/mo | None, ₹0 |
At 10,000 marketing messages/month, a no-markup BSP like ChatMaxima costs roughly ₹11,765 all-in (Meta + GST + $19) versus ₹14,000 to 22,000 with markup providers.
How per-message billing works
Since July 1, 2025, Meta bills per message delivered, not per conversation. Utility and service messages are free inside the 24-hour customer service window, and everything is free for 72 hours inside a Click-to-WhatsApp free entry point window.
Read the full per-message model »Changes coming in 2026
From August 1, 2026, AI replies get a new per-token "Meta Business Agent" charge. From October 1, 2026, utility and service messages inside the service window become chargeable, so the free replies you rely on today will cost ₹0.1150 each.
See the full 2026 changes »Predictable WhatsApp Costs in India
ChatMaxima charges a flat ₹1,580 ($19)/month. You pay Meta's direct per-message rates with no markup, plus the full omnichannel inbox, AI agents, and WhatsApp integration. As Meta charges for more message types in 2026, a no-markup BSP keeps your bill predictable.
See ChatMaxima INR Pricing Global (USD) PricingPer-message INR rates sourced from Meta's official rate card, effective July 1, 2026. Verify at Meta's official WhatsApp pricing page.
WhatsApp API Pricing India: FAQs
Meta charges per message: marketing ₹0.8631, utility ₹0.1150, authentication ₹0.1150 (effective July 1, 2026), plus 18% GST. Service messages are free today, and utility is free inside the 24-hour customer service window. Your BSP adds a platform fee on top.
Yes. 18% GST applies on top of Meta's per-message rates and your BSP's platform fee in India. Budget the rate plus GST, for example a ₹0.8631 marketing message is ₹1.0185 with GST.
Meta charges no setup fee. Some Indian BSPs add a one-time setup charge (typically ₹0 to ₹25,000). ChatMaxima has no setup fee, you start on a flat monthly plan.
Meta's per-message rate is the same whichever BSP you use, so the cheapest is the one with the lowest added fees. ChatMaxima charges a flat ₹1,580 ($19)/month with no per-message markup, so you pay Meta's rate plus a fixed fee.
Yes, for utility and authentication messages. Discounts step from -6% up to -30% as monthly volume grows. Utility stays at the ₹0.1150 list rate up to 25M messages/month; authentication discounts begin at 750,000/month. Marketing messages are not tiered.
India has its own INR rate card, and INR billing is available for India-based businesses since January 1, 2026. Eligible businesses must migrate all WABAs to INR by December 31, 2026.