Meta Introduces Per-Message Billing for WhatsApp Business Users, Drops 24-Hour Flat Rate

• WhatsApp, the premium messaging platform, has commenced per-message billing for WhatsApp Business
• Under the new model, businesses will be charged based on the number of messages sent instead of the previous flat rate for a 24-hour window
• The development comes as the messaging platform has said it will commence a monetisation feature and introduce ads on Statuses and Channels

Legit.ng’s Pascal Oparada has reported on tech, energy, stocks, investment and the economy for over a decade.

The world’s most popular messaging platform, WhatsApp, has commenced a per-message billing system for businesses using the platform, starting July 1, 2025.

The move is a major departure from how the messaging app monetises its business communication. 

How will the new charge be made?

Previously, businesses were charged for a 24-hour conversation window, regardless of how many marketing messages were exchanged. 

Under the new model, each message is individually priced. However, utility and authentication messages, used for non-promotional purposes such as one-time passwords or account updates, are billed per message, replacing an earlier flat rate for unlimited messages within a 24-hour session.

Findings showed that sending messages and media, or making calls, is free regardless of location. 

When is the new model beginning?

However, WhatsApp Business uses a per-message billing model for certain types of messages, such as marketing, utility, and authentication messages delivered outside of a customer service window. 

This change is effective July 1, 2025, and applies to messages sent through the WhatsApp Business API. 

A prior report by Legit.ng disclosed that WhatsApp announced that it will commence monetisation, introducing ads on status updates and Channels.

For the first time, businesses now have the opportunity to run ads directly in WhatsApp, a significant expansion of the messaging platform.

Meanwhile, Experts say the new pricing model is expected to make WhatsApp communication more expensive for businesses.

According to reports, Nikila Srinivasan, vice president at Meta, said that these measures will make prices more attractive.

She disclosed that the pricing model has been updated to simplify the structure.

Will businesses charge more?

"It's how most businesses think of how they allocate their budgets, and per-message pricing just makes it a lot simpler for them because it brings more predictability. It's more valuable and utilitarian,” Srinivasan said.

Before now, businesses could only reach users in two ways such as sending paid messages, used primarily by large corporations to share updates or promotions, and via click-to-WhatsApp ads on Facebook and Instagram, which directed users to open chats on WhatsApp.

The new feature is a major step toward making the platform a standalone advertising channel. 

WhatsApp to phase out phone numbers

Legit.ng earlier reported that WhatsApp is getting a new feature, which will allow users to stop using their phone numbers for registration and contact-sharing.

The world’s leading messaging platform is working on a new feature, which will let users have usernames instead of phone numbers.

The Meta-owned platform does not currently allow users to log in with a username and password; however, it requires them to use their phone numbers.

Source: Legit.ng