Free tool
WhatsApp API pricing calculator
Enter how many messages you send a month and to which country. We show what Meta charges at list price, category by category.
What Meta charges you per month
Enter how many messages you send to see the total.
| Category | Messages | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Marketing | ||
| Utility | ||
| Authentication | ||
| Service |
Meta list rates effective October 1, 2026. At high volume, utility and authentication get cheaper in tiers. Does not include your provider's fee or taxes.
How Meta charges for the WhatsApp API
Per delivered message
Each template that reaches the customer's phone is charged once. If it is not delivered, it costs nothing.
By category
Marketing is the most expensive. Utility and authentication cost much less, and Meta checks that the template belongs to the category you chose.
By the customer's country
The country of the number that receives the message sets the price, not your company's. A notice to Colombia and one to Spain have different prices.
Ads that open a chat
If the customer comes from an ad that opens WhatsApp and you reply within the first 24 hours, a window opens in which Meta does not charge your messages.
Make every message you pay for sell or collect
With Recaudo you send templates to thousands of customers with their name and balance, reply from an inbox shared with your team and send the payment link in the same chat. That way you know what the campaign cost and how much you got paid.
Frequently asked questions
How much does the WhatsApp API cost?
It depends on the message category and the customer's country. In the United States, for example, Meta charges about 2.5 cents for a marketing message and under a cent for a utility one, at list price. The calculator runs the numbers with your volumes.
What is the difference between marketing, utility and authentication?
Marketing is anything that promotes a sale. Utility is a notice about something the customer already has with you: a payment, an order, an appointment. Authentication is access codes. Meta reviews each template and may change its category if it does not match.
Are service messages charged?
They are the free-form replies you send in the 24 hours after the customer wrote to you. Meta does not charge the first 1,000 each month per number; anything above that carries the country's service rate.
Is a utility template charged if the customer just wrote to me?
Yes. Since October 1, 2026, Meta also charges utility templates sent inside the 24-hour window.
In which currency does Meta charge?
It publishes rates in US dollars, Mexican, Argentine, Chilean and Colombian pesos, Brazilian reais, Peruvian soles and euros, and charges you in your payment account's currency. The calculator's figures come from those sheets, with no conversion in between.
Does the total include what my provider charges?
No. It is only what Meta charges. If you use an API provider, check whether they add a per-message fee or a monthly fee.
More free tools
Send your templates from Recaudo
Connect your WhatsApp Business number and launch your first campaign with your customer list.