The development was contained in a WhatsApp Business Platform pricing update published in July 2026.
The new fees will apply to businesses using the official WhatsApp Business Platform, formerly known as the WhatsApp Business API, to manage customer communications on a large scale.
Banks, fintech companies, e-commerce platforms, telecommunications firms, logistics companies and large retailers that use WhatsApp for customer service and transactional communications are among those expected to be affected.
However, the new charges will not affect ordinary WhatsApp users or most small businesses using the standard WhatsApp Business app on their mobile phones.
Under the existing system, when a customer sends a message to a business, a 24-hour customer service window is opened. Businesses can currently respond with free-form service messages and certain utility messages during that period without paying Meta.
From October 1, however, Meta will begin charging businesses on a per-message basis for service messages sent within the customer service window.
Meta said in its developer documentation: “Effective October 1, 2026, Meta will charge on a per-message basis for all service messages, consistent with how Meta charges for template messages.”
The company also stated that utility messages sent in response to users within an open 24-hour customer service window would become chargeable from the same date.
Utility messages include payment confirmations, order updates and delivery notifications.
Meta has also warned businesses and Solution Providers to add a valid payment method before the new charges take effect.
According to the company, businesses and Solution Providers without a payment method on file by September 30, 2026, will have their service messages stopped once the new charges come into effect.
For Nigerian businesses, a chargeable utility or service message is expected to cost about $0.0101, equivalent to approximately ₦14 per message based on an exchange rate of around ₦1,340 to the dollar.
Marketing messages are considerably more expensive, at about $0.062 per message, or roughly ₦84 at the same exchange rate.
The fees are charges imposed by Meta and may not represent the total amount businesses pay. Companies accessing the WhatsApp Business Platform through Business Solution Providers or other third-party platforms may also incur additional provider fees.
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