Meta to Charge WhatsApp Business API Users Per Message From 1 October 2026
- Meta announced it will end free customer support replies on the WhatsApp Business Platform globally from 1 October 2026
- Major South African companies including Absa, FNB, Takealot and MTN are among those who will be affected by the new pricing model
- The changes will not affect standard personal WhatsApp accounts or regular WhatsApp Business app users
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Meta is ending free customer support replies on the WhatsApp Business Platform from 1 October 2026, moving enterprise API users to a pay-per-message pricing structure.
The shift affects businesses that use WhatsApp's enterprise API through Meta's servers, meaning every automated or assisted message sent to a customer will carry a cost.
New WhatsApp Business pricing in South Africa
According to recent report, three message categories will be billed under the updated model. Utility messages, which cover customer service replies, order confirmations, shipping updates, and payment receipts, will cost $0.0076, or roughly R0.12, per message. This fee applies even when the exchange happens within an open 24-hour customer service window.
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Authentication messages, such as one-time passcodes and login verifications, will be billed at the same $0.0076 rate for local delivery, rising to $0.0200 (approximately R0.32) when sent internationally. Marketing messages carry the steepest rate at $0.0379, approximately R0.62, per message. A business sending 10,000 promotional broadcasts would face a bill of around R6,200.
Which South African companies are affected?
According to Meta, the new pricing applies only to organisations using the WhatsApp Business Platform API. In South Africa, that includes major banks such as Absa, FNB, Standard Bank, and Capitec, as well as retailers and telecoms providers like Takealot, MTN, Vodacom, and airline FlySafair.
Consumers using standard personal WhatsApp accounts or small businesses running the regular WhatsApp Business mobile app will not be charged.
WhatsApp reaches 29 million users in South Africa, and the platform has rolled out several notable features for local users recently. Custom usernames, introduced to let users reserve "@" handles, allow people to communicate without exposing their phone numbers or real names.
A WhatsApp Plus subscription, priced at R28.99 per month, gives users access to custom app icons and personalised visual themes. The platform also added username QR codes, multi-account support, and a history-sharing tool for new group members.
For businesses that rely heavily on WhatsApp to stay in touch with customers, the October deadline leaves little time to review messaging volumes and plan for the added operational cost.
Source: Getty Images
More stories on WhatsApp and cellphones
- Briefly News recently reported that South Africans are being warned about a growing WhatsApp scam that allows criminals to take over accounts and target their contacts.
- Rapper Emtee was taken back into custody after WhatsApp messages played a role in a court decision involving his bail.
- Zelda La Grange shared how a convincing scam involving a supposed Vodacom promotion left her thousands of rand out of pocket.
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Source: Briefly News
