The two parts of the bill
- Meta's message fees. On the WhatsApp Business API, Meta charges per delivered message the business sends, depending on the message category and the customer's country. Messages customers send you are free.
- The platform. The software that hosts the chatbot, the shared inbox and the integrations — usually a monthly subscription. Some platforms also add a markup on Meta's fees, so check how each one bills them.
There may also be a one-time setup cost if you hire someone to build a custom bot. With a no-code platform you set it up yourself from a dashboard.
What changed on October 1, 2026
Meta has charged per message (instead of per conversation) since July 2025. From October 1, 2026, Meta resumed charging for service messages — the free-form replies you send inside the 24-hour window after a customer writes. To soften the change, every business phone number gets 1,000 free service messages per month. Unused messages don't roll over.
Meta now lists only two cases where business messages are free: the first 1,000 service messages each month and the free entry point window, which opens when a customer reaches you from a Click-to-WhatsApp ad or a Facebook Page button and lasts up to 7 days. Utility templates — confirmations, reminders — are charged even when sent inside the 24-hour window.
The four message categories
Marketing
Promotions, offers, cart reminders, newsletters. The most expensive category.
Utility
Updates about something the customer did: order confirmations, shipping, appointment reminders.
Authentication
One-time passcodes to log in or verify an account.
Service
Your replies inside the 24-hour customer service window — what a chatbot sends most. First 1,000 per number per month are free.
Meta's rates per message (USD, from October 1, 2026)
- Colombia: marketing $0.0125 · utility, authentication and service $0.0008
- Mexico: marketing $0.0397 · utility, authentication and service $0.0085
- Brazil: marketing $0.0625 · utility, authentication and service $0.0068
- Argentina: marketing $0.0618 · utility, authentication and service $0.026
- Chile: marketing $0.0889 · utility, authentication and service $0.02
- Peru: marketing $0.0703 · utility, authentication and service $0.03
- Spain: marketing $0.0707 · utility, authentication and service $0.02
- Rest of Latin America: marketing $0.074 · utility, authentication and service $0.0113
- North America: marketing $0.025 · utility, authentication and service $0.0034
These are Meta's base list prices. Utility and authentication get volume discounts at high volume, and Meta now bills in local currencies such as COP and MXN. Meta only changes prices on January 1, April 1, July 1 and October 1, so check the official rate card before budgeting.
Example: a small business in Colombia
Say your chatbot sends 3,000 service replies, 1,000 appointment reminders (utility) and 500 promotional messages (marketing) in a month, all to Colombian numbers:
- Service: 3,000 − 1,000 free = 2,000 × $0.0008 = $1.60
- Utility: 1,000 × $0.0008 = $0.80
- Marketing: 500 × $0.0125 = $6.25
- Meta total: about $8.65 USD a month
The same volume in Mexico comes to about $45.35: $17.00 in service, $8.50 in utility and $19.85 in marketing. Rates vary a lot by country, and marketing is usually where the money goes.
What the platform costs
Platform prices vary with how many agents and contacts you need. As of October 2026, entry plans from well-known providers range from pay-as-you-go developer APIs to roughly $50–$150 a month for no-code tools with a shared inbox. We compare them in the best WhatsApp chatbot platforms.
Simplifybot plans start at $39 a month (Basic: 1 user, up to 500 conversations) and $79 a month (Business: up to 5 agents, up to 1,000 conversations), with all integrations included. Details on the pricing page.
How to keep the bill low
- Let customers start the conversation. Replies inside the 24-hour window are service messages — the cheapest category, with 1,000 free per month.
- Use Click-to-WhatsApp ads if you advertise: conversations from them open a free window of up to 7 days.
- Send marketing sparingly and only to people who opted in. It's the most expensive category, and low-quality sends hurt your limits.
- Answer in one message, not five. Meta charges per message, so a clear, complete answer costs less than many short ones.
Sources
- Meta: WhatsApp Business Platform pricing
- Meta: rate cards and volume tiers
- WhatsApp Business: interactive pricing
Frequently asked questions
Are customer service replies on WhatsApp still free?
Since October 1, 2026, Meta charges service messages again, but each business phone number gets 1,000 free per month.
Do I pay for messages customers send me?
No. Meta only charges for delivered messages sent by the business.
How much does a WhatsApp chatbot cost per month?
For a small business, Meta's fees are often a few dollars to a few dozen dollars a month depending on country and volume, plus the platform subscription — from $39 a month on Simplifybot.