WhatsApp message costs
The cost of WhatsApp messages on the Business API is set by Meta's official price list: you pay for delivered template messages (marketing, utility, authentication), with per-message rates that vary by category and by the recipient's country. Messages customers send are not charged; replies within the 24-hour window are free until September 30, 2026 and, from October 1, 2026, up to 1,000 per month for each business number, after which they cost the same as a utility message (€0.0248 in Italy). On top of these costs comes the fee for the platform you use.
The price hierarchy is stable: marketing is the most expensive category, authentication and utility cost less, and from October 1, 2026 utility templates sent within an open customer service window are also charged, which were not charged until September 30. Free entry points from Click-to-WhatsApp ads zero out messaging costs for a window that can last up to 7 days (according to Meta's developer pricing page, updated on September 28, 2026). The full per-country price list is published by Meta and updated periodically; billing follows the actual delivery of the message.
A campaign budget is estimated by multiplying the recipients by the template's rate in the destination country: for Italy, the marketing rate is in the order of a few euro cents per message. Watch out for the hidden item: some platforms apply a per-message markup or sell credits priced above Meta's list. Messaging costs can be charged by Meta directly to the WABA's payment method.
SendApp applies no markup: messages are paid at pure Meta rates, charged to the customer's WABA, and the platform fee is the only SendApp cost.
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