Rate card as of 1 Jul 2026

WhatsApp Business API Pricingin India

Plans from ₹999 a month, plus Meta’s per-message rates. What the official API costs in India, which messages are free, and how to compare providers.

₹999/mo

Starter Plan

Markup on Meta

1–3

Business Days to Go Live

NotifyTech AI Team 14 October 2026 9 min read Pricing Guide

Introduction

Understanding WhatsApp Business API Pricing in India

The WhatsApp Business API is Meta’s official way for companies to message customers at scale, with shared inboxes, automation and campaigns. Its pricing confuses buyers because two separate bills are involved: your provider’s plan fee and Meta’s per-message charges.

NotifyTech AI’s official WhatsApp Business API is the product these prices describe; this guide goes deeper on the cost. Not sure the API is what you need? Start with WhatsApp Business API vs the regular WhatsApp app.

Key Takeaway

Plans start at ₹999/month. Meta’s per-message charges come on top: ₹0.8631 per marketing message and ₹0.115 per utility message, excluding 18% GST.

What is it?

WhatsApp Business API Explained

Unlike the standard WhatsApp Business app, the API offers automated messaging, campaigns, a shared team inbox and integration with your existing business systems.

It runs through an approved provider on a number registered with Meta, instead of on a single phone. Our comparison with the regular app covers the differences.

At a glance

What You Pay and Get

Plans:₹999, ₹1,999 or ₹6,999 a month

Markup on Meta:0%, passed through at cost

Onboarding:Free on every plan

Go live:Most numbers in 1–3 business days

Support:Mon–Sat, 9–7 IST

Sending SMS too?

DLT registration is an SMS rule in India, not a WhatsApp one. For SMS sender IDs and templates, read the TRAI DLT registration guide.

Pricing Tiers

What does the WhatsApp Business API cost in India?

You pay two bills. A NotifyTech AI plan costs ₹999, ₹1,999 or ₹6,999 a month (Starter, Growth or Scale), or ₹849, ₹1,699 or ₹5,949 a month billed yearly. Meta separately charges ₹0.8631 per marketing message and ₹0.115 per utility message, excluding 18% GST. Onboarding and setup are free.

Starter

₹999/mo

₹849/mo billed yearly · Save 15%

1 official number

1 login

20 campaigns a month

1:1 live chat inbox

200 AI credits a month

Growth

₹1,999/mo

₹1,699/mo billed yearly · Save 15%

Up to 3 official numbers

5 logins

100 campaigns a month

Shared multi-agent inbox

1,000 AI credits a month

Scale

₹6,999/mo

₹5,949/mo billed yearly · Save 15%

Up to 10 official numbers

20 logins

500 campaigns a month

Priority routing inbox

10,000 AI credits a month

See every plan limit on the pricing page

Meta’s Charges

How does Meta’s per-message pricing work?

Since 1 July 2025, Meta charges for each template message it delivers, not for 24-hour conversations. The price depends on the template’s category: marketing, utility or authentication. Undelivered messages are not charged. Meta changes rates only on 1 January, 1 April, 1 July or 1 October, with at least a month’s notice.

Marketing

₹0.8631 /message

Offers, promotions, product launches and announcements. Charged on every delivered message, per message.

Utility

₹0.115 /message

Order updates, receipts and reminders about something the customer already did. Free when sent inside an open 24-hour window.

Authentication

₹0.115 /message

One-time passcodes and login codes. Charged per delivered message.

Meta’s India rate card as of 1 Jul 2026. Rates are per delivered message and exclude 18% GST. A separate, higher authentication-international rate also exists: check Meta’s INR rate card for it. Meta’s pricing page

Free Messages

Which WhatsApp messages are free?

Replies to a customer inside the 24-hour customer service window are free, and so are utility templates sent while it is open. Reply within 24 hours to a chat that starts from a Click to WhatsApp ad or Facebook Page button and a 72-hour window opens where every message is free. Marketing and authentication templates are otherwise charged.

Replies in the 24-hour window

When a customer messages you, a customer service window opens. Every non-template reply inside it is free.

Utility templates in that window

An order or delivery update sent while the window is open costs nothing. The same template sent after it closes is charged.

Free entry points: 72 hours

A chat started from a Click to WhatsApp ad or a Facebook Page button, on a mobile app, opens a 72-hour window if you reply within 24 hours. Every message in it is free.

Extra Costs

What are the hidden costs?

Three costs sit outside the plan price. Meta’s per-message charges are a second bill, passed through at 0% markup. 18% GST is added to Meta’s rates. AI voice calls are billed per minute from a prepaid wallet, separately from your plan. Onboarding and setup are free.

Meta’s message charges

Meta bills each delivered template message by category. NotifyTech AI passes the charge through at 0% markup, so it is a second bill beside your plan.

18% GST

Meta’s India rates exclude GST, so add 18% when you budget for the message charges.

AI voice calls

AI calls are billed per minute from a prepaid wallet you top up, separately from your plan and from Meta’s charges.

See AI voice rates

Comparison

How do I choose a provider?

Compare what each provider charges beyond Meta’s own rates: the platform fee, any markup on Meta’s charges, onboarding fees, and what the plan includes. Ask for numbers, logins, contacts, API access, support hours and AI credits in writing. Then price your own message volume, not the headline plan.

What to compare when choosing a WhatsApp Business API provider, with NotifyTech AI’s values
What to compare	NotifyTech AI	Ask any provider
Platform fee	₹999 / ₹1,999 / ₹6,999 a month (₹849 / ₹1,699 / ₹5,949 billed yearly)	Is it a flat fee, or does it grow per agent, contact or message?
Markup on Meta charges	0%, passed through at Meta’s rate	Is Meta’s rate passed through at cost? Is any markup shown on the invoice?
Onboarding fee	Free on every plan	Is there a setup or verification fee?
WhatsApp numbers	1 / up to 3 / up to 10	How many numbers does each plan include, and what does another one cost?
Logins	1 (Admin) / 5 (Role-Based) / 20 (with Routing)	Are seats capped, or charged per user?
CRM contacts	10,000 / 25,000 / Unlimited	Is there a contact cap or a per-contact fee?
API access	Not included on Starter · 100 requests a minute on Growth · full api & webhooks on Scale	Is API and webhook access included, or an add-on?
Support hours	Mon–Sat, 9–7 IST	Which hours and channels, and who actually answers?
AI credits	200 / 1,000 / 10,000 a month	What do credits cover, and what happens when they run out?
Time to go live	1–3 business days	Who handles Meta Business verification and display-name approval, and how long does it take?

Worked Example

How much will I really spend?

A Growth plan with 2,000 marketing and 3,000 utility messages a month comes to ₹4,070.20 before GST: ₹1,999 for the plan, ₹1,726.20 for marketing and ₹345.00 for utility. Replies inside the 24-hour window add nothing. Your own message mix changes the total.

Growth plan, billed monthly

₹1,999.00

Marketing messages

2,000 × ₹0.8631

₹1,726.20

Utility messages sent outside an open window

3,000 × ₹0.115

₹345.00

Service replies and utility inside an open window

free

₹0.00

Total, excluding GST

Meta’s share: ₹2,071.20

₹4,070.20

Meta’s charges are 51% of this bill, so your message mix moves the total more than the plan does. Billed yearly, Growth is ₹1,699 a month, saving ₹3,600 a year. Add 18% GST to Meta’s charges when you budget.

The message volumes are an example, not a forecast. Rates are from the rate card named above and exclude GST.

FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about WhatsApp Business API pricing in India

What is WhatsApp Business API pricing in India?

Pricing has two parts. A provider’s plan fee (NotifyTech AI: ₹999, ₹1,999 or ₹6,999 a month) pays for the platform. Meta charges per delivered template message: ₹0.8631 marketing, ₹0.115 utility or authentication, excluding 18% GST. Replies inside the 24-hour window are free.

How much does it cost for small businesses?

A small business can start on Starter at ₹999 a month (₹849 billed yearly) with free onboarding and one official number. Meta’s charges come on top. A business that mostly replies to customers who message first pays little beyond the plan, because those replies are free.

Are there any hidden costs?

Beyond the plan fee, budget for Meta’s per-message charges, 18% GST on Meta’s rates, and AI voice calls, billed per minute from a prepaid wallet. Onboarding and setup are free, and Meta’s rates carry 0% markup from us. Meta’s rates can change on 1 January, 1 April, 1 July or 1 October.

What factors affect the total cost?

Your plan tier, how many template messages you send, and their category. Marketing costs ₹0.8631 a message against ₹0.115 for utility, so the mix matters more than the tier. Free windows from customer replies and from Click to WhatsApp ads lower the Meta bill.

Is pricing different for Indian businesses?

Yes. Meta publishes an India rate card in rupees, and India’s marketing rate rose on 1 January 2026. Our plan fees are in rupees too. WhatsApp has no DLT requirement: DLT registration is an SMS rule in India.

Sources

References & Further Reading

Meta’s own documentation behind the pricing in this guide

WhatsApp Business API Documentation

Official docs covering technical specs, implementation guides, and best practices.

Read Documentation

Meta for Developers — WhatsApp

Developer resources including the API reference and integration tutorials.

Explore Resources

WhatsApp Business API Pricing

Meta’s per-message pricing model, the free customer service window and the downloadable rate cards, including India’s.

View Pricing

Updates to WhatsApp Pricing

Meta’s log of rate changes by quarter and country, with the notice periods it gives.

See Updates

Ready to get started?

Start with the WhatsApp Business API Today

Official API plans from ₹999 a month, free onboarding, and Meta’s charges passed through at 0% markup.

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