How Meta charges for WhatsApp messages
On the WhatsApp Business Platform (the “WhatsApp API”), Meta charges for template messages — messages a business starts, using a template Meta has approved. You pay per message, and only when the message is delivered. Every template belongs to a category, and the category sets the price:
- Marketing — offers, announcements, campaigns, reminders to come back.
- Utility — updates about something the customer asked for, like a booking confirmation or order update.
- Authentication — one-time passwords (OTPs) to log in or verify.
- Service — your replies when a customer messages you. These are free.
The 24-hour customer service window
When a customer messages your business, a 24-hour customer service window opens. Inside it you can reply freely, with no charge — and utility templates sent inside an open window are free too. The window resets every time the customer sends a new message. Outside the window, you need a template, and it’s charged.
Free entry points
If a customer messages you from a Click to WhatsApp ad or a Facebook Page button, Meta opens a 72-hour free entry point window, and all messages in that window are free.
Meta’s rates for India
| Category | Rate per delivered message (INR) | When it’s free |
|---|---|---|
| Marketing | ₹0.8631 | Inside a 72-hour free entry point window |
| Utility | ₹0.1150 | Inside an open 24-hour customer service window, or a 72-hour free entry point window |
| Authentication | ₹0.1150 | Inside a 72-hour free entry point window |
| Service (your replies) | Free | Always free inside the 24-hour window |
What you pay with Zlotworks
Two separate bills, with nothing hidden in between:
- Your Zlotworks plan — Starter ₹599, Growth ₹999, Business ₹1,999 a month (₹499 / ₹899 / ₹1,699 for your first 12 paid months if you join by 31 Dec 2026), excluding taxes. Every feature is on every plan: AI agent, voice-note understanding, bots, bookings & orders, team inbox, translation, campaigns + scheduler, AI templates, posters, reminders.
- Meta’s message charges — billed by Meta directly to your WhatsApp Business Account at Meta’s rates. We add no markup.
Start with a 14-day free trial: no card, 50 AI credits. See every plan on Zlotworks pricing.
How other providers charge
Providers handle Meta’s charges in different ways. Some, like Zlotworks, let Meta bill you directly. Others collect Meta’s charges from a prepaid wallet, or list their own per-message rates, which can include a markup over Meta’s rate. When you compare tools, ask each provider whether its per-message price is Meta’s rate or its own. Our comparison pages show how Wati, AiSensy and Interakt describe this on their own pricing pages, with sources and dates.