Meta, the parent company of WhatsApp, will begin charging businesses for service and utility messages sent through the WhatsApp Business Platform from Oct. 1, 2026.
The new pricing policy will affect corporate organisations using the platform, formerly known as the WhatsApp Business API, to manage large-scale customer communications.
Businesses expected to be affected include banks, fintech companies, telecommunications providers, logistics firms and major e-commerce platforms.
The policy will not affect standard WhatsApp users or small businesses using the free WhatsApp Business mobile application.
Under the new pricing model, businesses will pay per message for responses sent within the 24-hour customer service window.
Utility messages, including transactional updates, payment confirmations, order status notifications and delivery alerts, will also attract per-message charges.
Meta has directed affected businesses to link a valid payment method to their accounts by Sept. 30, 2026, to avoid possible disruptions to message delivery when the new policy takes effect.
For businesses operating in Nigeria, a chargeable service or utility message is expected to cost about $0.0101, equivalent to roughly N14, while marketing messages will cost about $0.062, or approximately N84, per message.
The new charges are targeted at businesses using the WhatsApp Business Platform for large-scale communications and do not apply to ordinary users of the messaging service.
