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CHANGELOG · WHATSAPP BUSINESS MESSAGING
WhatsApp Messaging Pricing Update
Effective 1st October 2026
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In short:
From 1st October 2026, Meta is making two changes — Service messages become
chargeable after a monthly free allowance is used up, and Utility messages
sent inside the 24-hour customer service window also become chargeable.
Incoming messages and the 72-hour CTWA window stay free.
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Now chargeable
Service msgs past free limit; Utility msgs in the 24-hr window
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Limited free tier
1,000 free Service messages / month / number
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Still free
Incoming messages; 72-hr CTWA window
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What's changing — at a glance
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Message type
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Before 1 Oct 2026
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From 1 Oct 2026
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Incoming customer messages
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Free
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Free — no change
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Service messages
(within monthly free allowance)
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Free
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Free — first 1,000/month per number
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Service messages
(after free allowance used up)
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Free
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Chargeable at Utility rate
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Utility messages
(sent inside 24-hr service window)
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Free
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Chargeable
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Approved Utility templates
(outside the window)
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Chargeable
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Chargeable — no change
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Messages in 72-hr CTWA window
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Free
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Free — no change
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MONTHLY FREE ALLOWANCE
1,000 Service Messages
Free every month, per WhatsApp Business
Number.
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What is a Service message?
A Service message is a regular, free-form reply sent by your business in response to a
customer message within an active 24-hour customer service window.
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Example:
If a customer asks about an order and your team responds with delivery
details through TryowBOT Live Chat, the response is considered a Service
message. Free-form replies sent through your chatbot or Agent also count
as Service messages.
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The 24-hour customer service window starts when a customer messages your business,
and each new customer message refreshes the window.
How Service message billing works
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1
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The first 1,000 Service messages
delivered in a calendar month stay free.
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2
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Charges apply from the 1,001st Service
message onward, at the Utility rate for the recipient's country.
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3
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The free allowance applies only to Service
messages — Utility templates are not included in it.
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4
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Replies via Live Chat, chatbot, or Agent all count toward the Service message
allowance.
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⚠
Utility templates — no change
Approved Utility templates continue to be charged as Utility messages and
are not part of the 1,000 free Service message allowance.
So an order-update template, for example, is billed as a Utility message
even if your Service message allowance isn't exhausted yet.
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✓
72-hour CTWA window remains free
The 72-hour Click-to-WhatsApp Ads (CTWA) initiated messaging window
remains free and is not impacted by the pricing changes effective
1st October 2026.
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What remains unchanged
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Incoming customer messages remain free.
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The 24-hour customer service window continues to operate as it does today.
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The 72-hour CTWA-initiated messaging window remains free.
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This update changes how certain messages are billed; it does not change how the
customer service window itself operates.
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EFFECTIVE DATE
Updated billing applies from
1st October 2026, 12:00 AM,
per the timezone configured for your WhatsApp Business Account.
Charges are applied automatically based on message category, recipient
country, and remaining free allowance.
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