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). From October 1, 2026, service replies are also billed at ₹0.1150 after the first 1,000 free per phone number each month. Here's the full breakdown, volume discounts, and setup costs.
WhatsApp Business API Rates in India (per message)
Meta's per-message rates for India, effective October 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 an open 24-hour 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 | ₹0.1150 | Replies inside the 24h window. First 1,000 per phone number each month are free, then charged. No volume tiers. |
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).
From October 1, 2026, each business phone number gets 1,000 delivered service messages free per month (1:1 and group sends share the allowance; unused messages do not roll over). If your WhatsApp Business Account has no payment method in Meta Billing Hub, service messages beyond the free 1,000 are not delivered, so add one in Billing Hub. Utility templates delivered inside an open customer service window remain free, per Meta's current pricing page. 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, and service 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 utility templates are free inside an open customer service window. Service replies: 5,000 in a month on one number means 4,000 billed x ₹0.1150 = ₹460, or ₹542.80 with 18% GST (the first 1,000 are free). ChatMaxima's WhatsApp usage page (Settings > Usage > WhatsApp in the dashboard) shows each number's service messages against the free 1,000 and the estimated cost. 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 templates are free inside an open 24-hour customer service window. From October 1, 2026, service replies are billed at ₹0.1150 after the first 1,000 free per phone number per month. Everything stays free for 72 hours inside a Click-to-WhatsApp free entry point window.
Read the full per-message model »2026 pricing changes
Since August 1, 2026, AI replies from the Meta Business Agent are billed per token. From October 1, 2026, service messages are billed at ₹0.1150 after 1,000 free per phone number per month; with no payment method in Meta Billing Hub, service messages beyond the free 1,000 are not delivered.
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 October 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 October 1, 2026), plus 18% GST. Utility templates are free inside an open 24-hour customer service window. From October 1, 2026, service replies cost ₹0.1150 after the first 1,000 free per phone number each month. 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.
From October 1, 2026, each business phone number gets 1,000 delivered service messages free per month. After that, service replies are billed at ₹0.1150 each, plus 18% GST. If your WhatsApp Business Account has no payment method in Meta Billing Hub, service messages beyond the free 1,000 are not delivered, so add a payment method in Billing Hub. Service messages can still only be sent inside an open 24-hour customer service window.
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 and service 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.