WhatsApp Business Platform Pricing Changes: What’s Changing in Zoho Desk IM from October 1, 2026
Hi everyone,
Starting October 1, 2026, Meta is making changes to WhatsApp Business Platform pricing.
What's changing?
Updated pricing for some countries and regions
Meta is updating how WhatsApp message pricing is organized across certain countries and regions.
- Some countries that are currently grouped under broader regional pricing will have their own individual rates starting October 1.
- Meta is also introducing a separate international rate for certain Authentication messages where applicable.
Revised message rates
Rates for Utility, Authentication, and Marketing messages will change for selected countries and regions.
The amount charged will continue to depend on factors such as:
- The type of message you send
- The recipient's country
For a detailed explanation of these message categories and how WhatsApp charges are calculated, see Meta's official documentation ↗.
Service messages will become chargeable
A Service message is generally a message sent while responding to a customer within the 24-hour customer service window. In Zoho Desk, messages sent from the Guided Conversations (GC) and Zia bots configured for a WhatsApp channel will also be considered Service messages. Starting October 1, these messages can be chargeable. However, Meta will provide a monthly free allowance for each WhatsApp Business phone number.
Important
The first 1,000 Service messages per business phone number each month will be free.
Once you have used all 1,000 free Service messages, additional Service messages will be charged at the applicable rate.
For example, if one of your WhatsApp Business phone numbers sends 1,200 Service messages in a month:
| Service messages sent in a month | Free | Chargeable |
|---|---|---|
| 1,200 | 1,000 | 200 |
There are no volume-based pricing discounts for Service messages.
This is one of the most important changes to be aware of. Read more about recent updates to how Meta charges for messages ↗.
What happens after the free allowance is used?
- Once a phone number reaches its 1,000 free Service messages for the month, you'll need sufficient credits to continue sending chargeable Service messages.
- When a chargeable message is successfully sent, the corresponding charge will be reflected in your credit statement from IM.
- If there aren't enough credits available, the message will not be sent.
- Your free allowance resets each month for each WhatsApp Business phone number.
Utility messages within the 24-hour window
Another change to keep in mind is that Utility messages can be chargeable even when they are sent within the 24-hour customer service window.
If your business frequently sends order updates, payment information, appointment reminders, or similar Utility messages, we recommend reviewing how this change may affect your WhatsApp messaging costs.
Changes to WhatsApp sandbox channels
If you use a WhatsApp sandbox channel for testing, there is also an important change.
Alert
Starting October 1, sandbox channels will support incoming messages only.
This means you can continue using a sandbox channel to receive test messages, but you will no longer be able to send outgoing messages from the sandbox.
Important
If your current testing process relies on sending messages from a sandbox channel, we recommend updating your testing workflow before October 1.
What should you do before October 1?
To prepare for these changes, we recommend several actions:
- 1 Check your Service-message usage: Review how many Service messages each of your WhatsApp Business phone numbers typically sends in a month.
- 2 Watch for numbers exceeding 1,000 messages: These numbers may start incurring additional charges.
- 3 Maintain sufficient credits: Make sure you have enough credits available so that chargeable messages aren't interrupted.
- 4 Review your Utility-message usage: Utility messages may be chargeable even within the 24-hour customer service window.
For more information about WhatsApp message categories, pricing, and when charges apply, refer to the WhatsApp Business Platform message pricing guide ↗
Have questions about these October pricing changes? Let us know in the comments below.