> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://help.1msg.io/docs/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://help.1msg.io/docs/billing/important-changes-to-message-billing-from-meta-starting-october-1-2026.md).

# ❗️ Important changes to message billing from Meta starting October 1, 2026

**Starting October 1, 2026**, Meta is changing the message pricing rules for the WhatsApp Business API. We’ve broken down the main changes and how they affect message costs so you can estimate expenses in advance, plan your budget, and prepare for the new rules.

***

## **What’s changing on October 1, 2026**

1. **Service messages become paid.** When a customer messages you and the 24-hour conversation window is open, you can reply with free-form messages without using a template. These replies were previously free. Starting October 1, 2026, each outbound service message will be charged.

{% hint style="success" %}
Each WABA number includes 1,000 free outbound service messages per month. Charges start from the 1,001st message. Unused free messages do not carry over to the next month.
{% endhint %}

2. **Utility messages become paid inside the 24-hour window (Utility templates).** Utility templates — such as order updates, delivery notifications, and payment notifications — sent within the 24-hour conversation window were free since July 2025. Starting October 1, 2026, these messages will be charged, whether they are sent inside or outside the 24-hour window.
3. Volume discounts **do not apply** to service messages — they remain available only for utility messages and authentication.
4. Meta has updated the pricing zones and zone-based rates for template message categories.

   You can find the new prices here: [Tariffs and payments](/docs/billing/tariffs-and-payments.md#dialog-fees)

{% hint style="info" %}
**The 24-hour conversation window is not going away.** As before, it determines whether you can send a customer a free-form message without a template. **Only the cost of those replies is changing.**
{% endhint %}

***

## **Which messages are affected**

| Message type                                       | Before October 1, 2026 | From October 1, 2026                                                    |
| -------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Service messages**                               | Free                   | First 1,000 outbound messages per month — free. From the 1,001st — paid |
| **Utility messages inside an open 24-hour window** | Free                   | Paid                                                                    |
| **Utility messages outside the 24-hour window**    | Paid                   | Paid                                                                    |
| **Marketing messages**                             | Always paid            | Always paid                                                             |
| **Authentication codes** (Authentication)          | Always paid            | Always paid                                                             |
| Messages from the customer to you                  | Free                   | Free                                                                    |

***

## **When template messages are not charged**

The **Free Entry Point** remains available!

This is a special **72-hour free window** that opens when a user starts a conversation through:

* **Click-to-WhatsApp Ads** on Facebook/Instagram;
* a **WhatsApp CTA button** on a Facebook Page.

**How it works:**

> Your customer sees an ad → clicks “Message on WhatsApp” → sends a message → a 72-hour free messaging window opens.

During these **72 hours**, the business can send **regular messages and templates from different categories without Meta charging for those messages**.

***

#### **Example 1. Support team**

**Before.** A customer asks: “Where is my order?” An agent replies with three short messages: “Let me check,” “Your order is on the way,” “Tracking number: …”. All three replies were **free**.

**After.** Those same three replies are **three paid messages** once the number has used up its free allowance of 1,000 messages per month. The more separate messages you send in one conversation, the higher the total cost.

If agents are used to splitting one answer into several short messages, from October that will directly affect costs. Where it makes sense, it’s better to combine the information into a single message.

***

#### **Example 2. Order status in a conversation**

**Before.** A customer writes about an order. You send them a ready-made “Order shipped” notification within 24 hours — that was **free**.

**After.** The same notification inside a 24-hour conversation becomes **paid** — just like sending that notification to the customer outside the 24-hour window.

***

#### **Example 3. Ads, support, and order confirmation**

**Before:**

1. You send a promotional offer — **paid**.
2. The customer replies — the 24-hour conversation window opens.
3. An agent replies with regular text — **free**.
4. You send an order confirmation with a **Utility** template in the same conversation — **free**.

**After:**

1. The ad — still **paid**.
2. The agent’s reply — **paid** after the free allowance is used up.
3. The order confirmation with a **Utility** template in an open conversation — **paid**.

***

#### **Example 4. Auto-replies**

An automatic reply — for example, “We’re unavailable” or “Thanks, we’ll reply during business hours” — is also a regular service message. Starting October 1, it is billed the same way as a message sent by a live agent.

***

#### **Example 5. Free Entry Point — 72-hour free window**

The customer sends a message on WhatsApp after seeing an ad on Monday at 12:00.

Until Thursday at 12:00, the business can send:

* regular messages;
* Utility templates;
* Marketing templates;
* Authentication templates.

Meta **does not charge for these messages** during the 72-hour free window.

After 72 hours, **Meta's standard pricing rules** apply.

***

## **How cost is calculated**

* You are charged for messages that are **delivered to the customer**. If a message was not delivered, Meta does not bill for it.
* **Each outbound message is billed separately.**
* Cost depends on the **recipient’s country**, not your company’s country.
* In 1MSG, a **5%** markup is added to Meta’s rate.

***

## **What to do in advance**

1. Estimate how many service messages and **Utility** templates you send per month — this will be one of the main new cost items.
2. Factor in the free allowance: **1,000 outbound service messages per number per month**.
3. Ask the support team to split one answer into multiple messages less often.
4. Review auto-replies: unnecessary automatic messages will also increase costs.
5. Check prices for your customers’ countries and plan for a possible budget increase.