The 1 October 2026 WhatsApp pricing change
Service replies are now free only for the first 1,000 per number each month, and South African utility and authentication messages rose to US$0.0095. What that does to a typical monthly bill.
How we write and update these guides
Every guide follows the same rules, so you can trust what you quote from it.
- Answer first. The first two sentences answer the question in the title. The detail comes after.
- Meta is the source. Every rate, limit and rule links to the Meta page it comes from. Where Meta's own pages disagree, we say so and use the more cautious figure. For example, Meta's developer docs say the Click-to-WhatsApp free window "may remain open for up to 7 days", while its marketing site says 72 hours, so we only promise "at least 72 hours".
- Dated. Each guide shows when it was last checked. Meta says it may change pricing only on 1 January, 1 April, 1 July or 1 October, so the pricing guides are reviewed each quarter. The next possible South African rate change is 1 January 2027.
- Fair to competitors. We quote a competitor's fees only where the competitor publishes them, with the date we checked. We don't estimate other people's markups.
- Honest about us. Codeswop is a Meta Tech Provider. That means you connect your own WhatsApp account, Meta bills you directly, and we can't do some things certain Solution Partners can, such as verifying your business on your behalf (only Select and Premier Solution Partners can) or giving you a credit line. The guides say so where it matters.
Pricing calendar source: Meta, Pricing on the WhatsApp Business Platform. Partner roles: Meta, Partners overview.
Two changes many South African pages haven't caught up with
Many of the South African pages that rank for WhatsApp API questions still describe the rules from before these two changes.
- Service replies are no longer free. From 1 October 2026 Meta charges for service messages after the first 1,000 per number each month, and utility templates sent inside the 24-hour customer service window are charged too. If no payment method is on file, Meta stops delivering service messages once the free tier is used up. Read the pricing guide.
- Switching providers no longer moves your number. Under Meta's new account model, generally available from 23 September 2026, you share your WhatsApp account with another partner. In Meta's words, "conversations are uninterrupted, and there is no migration to perform." Templates don't carry over automatically; they are recreated or copied with Meta's Template Migration API. Read about switching.
Sources: Meta, Pricing on the WhatsApp Business Platform; Meta, Updates to WhatsApp Business accounts.