What changed on October 1, 2026
According to Meta's official pricing documentation for developers, the change has two parts:
- Service messages are now charged. These are the normal replies a company sends when a customer writes to it, within the 24-hour customer service window. Each company WhatsApp number gets 1,000 free service messages per month; from message 1,001 onward, each delivered message is charged. The allowance does not roll over from one month to the next, is counted per number (not per account) and resets at midnight in the account's time zone.
- Utility templates within the window are charged too. Utility templates (order confirmations, payment notices, shipping updates) that used to be free within the 24-hour window are now charged from the first message and do not use up the 1,000 allowance.
Meta states that the rate for service messages is the same as for utility and authentication templates in the recipient's country, and that there will be no volume discounts for service messages. Replies from chatbots or automated systems that go through the API count the same as those from a human agent.
Messages sent within the free entry point window remain free; this window opens when the customer writes from a click-to-WhatsApp ad or from a Facebook Page button. Meta also warned that it would stop delivering service messages from companies and providers without a payment method on file by September 30, 2026. For qualifying government entities and nonprofits, service messages above the allowance remain free between October 1, 2026 and December 31, 2027.
What was there before and why it matters
Since November 1, 2024, Meta had not charged for service conversations, and since July 1, 2025, when it began charging per message, utility templates sent within the customer service window were also free. In practice, many companies served their customers on WhatsApp without paying Meta anything for replies: they only paid for the templates they sent on their own initiative and whatever their technology provider charged.
That model is over. As outlets such as Techweez and providers such as ConvCart explain, a company with high service volume (for example, a contact center that answers tens of thousands of messages a month) now pays for almost all of its replies, because the free allowance of 1,000 per number runs out quickly. On top of that, solution providers (BSPs) can charge their own separate fee.
It is important to clarify that the change applies to the WhatsApp Business Platform (the API that connects to CRMs, chatbots and call centers). The free WhatsApp Business app that small businesses use on their phones does not have this per-message charge.
Does it apply in Colombia and Latin America?
Yes. The charge for service messages and for utility templates within the window is global, and the price depends on the country of the customer receiving the message. For a customer in Colombia, the Colombian utility rate applies; Meta publishes the exact rates in its price tables in US dollars and Colombian pesos. Billing in COP has been available since April 1, 2026.
On the same date Meta updated 40 rates in different countries. In the region, marketing rates went up in Mexico and utility and authentication rates in Peru. For Colombia, Meta's documentation lists no rate changes in October: what is new for Colombian companies is that they pay for messages that used to be free.
What a company serving customers through WhatsApp Business API should review
- Volume per number. Measure how many service messages each number sends per month. If you have several numbers (for example, one per branch or department), each has its own 1,000 allowance.
- Automated replies. Review your chatbot flows: welcome messages, menus and short confirmations sent separately now add cost. Combining several messages into one more complete message reduces the number of charged messages.
- Utility templates. If you send confirmations or reminders within the conversation, they now have a price from the first message. Assess which ones add real value for the customer.
- Free entry points. If you invest in click-to-WhatsApp ads, take advantage of the free window they open.
- Payment method and balance. Make sure your account or your provider has an active payment method or sufficient balance, so your replies don't stop.
- Your provider's invoice. Compare what you pay with Meta's published rate and ask for clarity on the provider's margin.
- KPIs. Add the cost per handled conversation to your customer service reports.
What it means for companies in Colombia and Latin America
WhatsApp remains customers' preferred channel in the region, so the decision is not to stop serving customers on WhatsApp but to serve them in an organized way: fewer scattered messages, more complete replies, smart use of automation and monthly control of spending per number. For many companies the cost per message in Colombia will still be low compared with the value of resolving a case, but in large operations the difference shows up in the annual budget.
It is also a good time to review which cases are better resolved through other channels, such as a call, an SMS or an email, and to measure which conversations end in a sale or a resolution. At 19 80 TIC Cloud we help you connect WhatsApp Business API to your omnichannel chat with multiple agents and reports, so you have visibility into the volume and cost of your customer service.
