Meta will begin charging businesses for certain messages sent through the WhatsApp Business Platform from October 1, 2026, expanding its shift toward a per-message pricing model, as reported by BusinessDay and Telegraph Nigeria. The change will primarily affect companies using the Business Platform, formerly known as the WhatsApp Business API, to handle customer communications at scale. Ordinary WhatsApp users and most small businesses using the standard WhatsApp Business app will not be affected.
Under the new pricing structure, service messages will become chargeable on a per-message basis, while qualifying utility messages sent within an open 24-hour customer service window will also attract fees. Utility messages include payment confirmations, order updates and delivery notifications. Meta has said these messages had previously been free under the relevant pricing arrangements.
For Nigerian businesses, the impact could be significant for high-volume users. Current estimates put a chargeable utility or service message at about $0.0101, or roughly ₦14 per delivered message, while marketing messages cost considerably more at about $0.062, or approximately ₦84. A company sending 500,000 chargeable messages could therefore face about $5,050 in Meta fees alone, before any additional charges from third-party Business Solution Providers.
The change is likely to affect banks, fintechs, telecom operators, e-commerce companies, logistics firms and large retailers that depend heavily on WhatsApp for customer support and transactional communication. Meta has also warned businesses and solution providers to have a payment method on file by September 30, otherwise affected service messages could stop being delivered once the charges take effect.
