WhatsApp Business API pricing in the UK (2026)
Updated 19 October 2026
WhatsApp Business API pricing is per message. For customers with a UK (+44) number, Meta charges about £0.046 per marketing message and £0.016 per utility, authentication or service message, per Meta's GBP rate card. Messages customers send you are free. Since 1 October 2026, order updates and replies are charged too, but the first 1,000 service messages (free-form replies) a month per number are free. The app stays free.
A typical takeaway with 600 orders a month pays Meta roughly £38 for order messages, about 6p an order. Offers cost extra.
UK WhatsApp API rates per message (£ and US$)
Meta sets a price for each message category, based on the customer's country code. Your location doesn't matter. Here are the rates for UK (+44) customers.
| Category | What it's for (takeaway example) | Meta GBP rate card | Meta USD rate card | Free when… |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marketing | "Free garlic bread with any pizza tonight" | £0.0458 | $0.0635 | Sent inside a free entry point window (see below) |
| Utility | "Your order is out for delivery" | £0.0159 | $0.0220 | Free entry point window only (no longer free in the 24-hour window from 1 Oct 2026) |
| Authentication | One-time login code | £0.0159 | $0.0220 | Free entry point window only |
| Service | Typed or bot reply to "Are you open?" | £0.0159 | $0.0220 | First 1,000 a month per number; also in a free entry point window |
USD and GBP rates: Meta's USD and GBP rate cards, effective 1 July 2026. Meta prices service, utility and authentication messages at the same rate in each market. Accessed 11 October 2026. All rates exclude VAT.
Which currency applies to you? Meta bills in the currency set on your WhatsApp Business account. If it's GBP, use the £ column. If it's USD, your £ cost moves with the exchange rate. At the ECB reference rate on 9 October 2026 (US$1 = £0.7564), $0.0635 is about £0.048 and $0.0220 is about £0.017.
How WhatsApp message pricing works
Four rules cover almost everything.
- You pay when a message is delivered, not when it's sent. A failed message isn't charged.
- The price depends on the category. Meta sorts each template into marketing, utility or authentication. Free-text replies are "service".
- The price depends on the customer's number. A +44 customer costs UK rates. A +33 customer in France costs French rates.
- Messages customers send you are always free.
There's no Meta sign-up fee and no Meta monthly fee for the API. See does the WhatsApp Business API have a monthly fee? Your provider may charge one (more below).
The 24-hour rule (customer service window)
When a customer messages you, a 24-hour customer service window opens. Inside it you can send any type of message: free text, photos, menu links. Outside it, you can only send approved templates. More in our guide to WhatsApp's 24-hour rule.
What changed on 1 October 2026: until then, everything you sent inside the window was free. Meta's developer documentation now says that from 1 October 2026:
- service messages (non-template replies) are charged per message, at the same rate as utility and authentication
- utility templates sent inside the window are charged too
- service messages don't get volume discounts
The free allowance: each WhatsApp number gets its first 1,000 service messages a month free. After that, each service message is charged at the service rate (£0.0159 to UK numbers). For most single-site takeaways, that covers every reply. More in our 1 October 2026 explainer.
Free entry point windows (click-to-WhatsApp ads)
If a customer messages you from a click-to-WhatsApp ad or a Facebook Page button, and you reply within 24 hours, a free window opens. Every message you send in it is free, offers included. This window lasts 72 hours. See click-to-WhatsApp ads.
What's free and what's charged (UK, from 1 October 2026)
| Message | Charged? |
|---|---|
| Customer messages you ("Hi", their order, a photo) | Free |
| Your reply in a free entry point window (from an ad) | Free |
| Your free-text or bot reply inside 24 hours | Free for the first 1,000 a month per number, then charged at the service rate |
| Order confirmation, "ready", "out for delivery" templates | Charged at the utility rate |
| Offer, menu launch, "we miss you" | Charged at the marketing rate, every time |
| Login or verification code | Charged at the authentication rate |
| Message that fails to deliver | Free |
| Messages from the WhatsApp Business app | Free (the app has no per-message fees) |
Using the free app? It's still free. Read is the WhatsApp Business app free?
Volume discounts
Utility and authentication messages can get cheaper as volume grows, through Meta's volume tiers, which reset each month. Meta publishes the thresholds in its GBP volume tiers file. Service messages have no volume discount, and our examples use full list rates.
AI replies
Since 1 August 2026, replies written by Meta's own AI agent (Meta Business Agent) are charged by usage, at one global rate: US$2.00 per million tokens. Replies from other chatbots are charged as service messages, plus whatever the AI tool costs. More: how much does an AI reply cost on WhatsApp?
Worked examples: monthly WhatsApp costs for UK food businesses
All figures use the GBP rates above, exclude VAT and assume every customer has a +44 number. Service replies use the 1,000 free a month per number first.
Example 1: busy takeaway, 600 orders a month
- 600 orders, each with 4 utility updates (placed, accepted, ready, out for delivery)
- each order starts with the customer sending "Hi" and getting one service reply with the Order Now button
- 2 offer broadcasts a month to 1,500 opted-in customers
| Line | Messages | Rate | Monthly cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Order updates (utility) | 600 × 4 = 2,400 | £0.0159 | £38.16 |
| "Order Now" replies (service) | 600 | Free (under 1,000 a month) | £0.00 |
| Offers (marketing) | 2 × 1,500 = 3,000 | £0.0458 | £137.40 |
| Total Meta fees | 6,000 | £175.56 (+ VAT if it applies) |
Per order, the order messages cost £38.16 ÷ 600 = about 6p. Offers are your marketing budget, and you can send fewer.
Compare that with commission. At an illustrative £20 average order, 600 orders is £12,000 of sales. Uber Eats' 13% self-delivery rate on that is £1,560 plus VAT on the fee (see Uber Eats commission in the UK). The WhatsApp order messages cost £38.16.
Before 1 October 2026, the same month would have cost £137.40. The order updates were free inside the 24-hour window.
Example 2: small café, 150 orders a month
| Line | Messages | Rate | Monthly cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Order updates (3 per order) | 450 | £0.0159 | £7.16 |
| "Order Now" replies | 150 | Free (under 1,000 a month) | £0.00 |
| 1 offer to 400 customers | 400 | £0.0458 | £18.32 |
| Total | 1,000 | £25.48 |
Example 3: two-site pizza shop, 2,000 orders a month
Both sites share one WhatsApp number, so they share one 1,000-message free allowance.
| Line | Messages | Rate | Monthly cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Order updates (5 per order, incl. "completed") | 10,000 | £0.0159 | £159.00 (before any volume discount) |
| "Order Now" replies | 2,000 (first 1,000 free) | 1,000 × £0.0159 | £15.90 |
| 4 offers to 3,000 customers | 12,000 | £0.0458 | £549.60 |
| Total | 24,000 | £724.50 |
The lesson: order updates are cheap. Offers drive the bill. Send offers to people who want them, not to everyone, every week.
Try your own numbers in the. Pick "United Kingdom", enter your orders per month, and untick any updates you wouldn't send.
5 ways to keep your WhatsApp bill down
- Cut update steps. "Accepted" and "ready" may be enough for collection orders. Each step you drop saves £0.0159 per order.
- Target offers. Send to customers who ordered in the last 60 days, not your whole list.
- Use click-to-WhatsApp ads for new customers. Your replies in the free window cost nothing.
- Keep utility messages pure. If an update includes a promo, Meta may class it as marketing, at nearly 3× the price. See marketing vs utility messages.
- Check the currency on your WhatsApp Business account. Billing in GBP stops exchange-rate swings.
Provider fees: BSP markups vs Menuthere
Meta's per-message fee is only part of the bill. Your provider adds its own charges. Common models:
| How providers charge | What to watch for |
|---|---|
| Monthly platform fee | Often priced per user or seat |
| Markup on Meta's message fees | Solution Partners (BSPs) can bill you for Meta's fees, and some add a percentage or a fixed amount per message |
| Setup or onboarding fee | One-off |
| Per-number fee | Extra numbers or outlets |
| Pre-paid credit | Top-ups that may expire |
Example (illustrative only): if a provider added a 20% markup, Example 1's £175.56 would become £210.67 before their subscription.
How Menuthere charges:
- Menuthere Pro: US$39 a month (billed in US dollars; your bank converts it). It includes WhatsApp API ordering on your own number, automatic order updates, broadcasts, an inbox in your dashboard for customer chats, loyalty and your own riders with live tracking.
- Meta's message fees are separate. Menuthere is an official Meta Tech Provider: Meta bills your own WhatsApp Business account directly, at Meta's rates, and Menuthere adds no markup. Menuthere takes no commission on orders either.
So Example 1 on Menuthere costs US$39 a month + about £176 in Meta fees, with 0% commission on the £12,000 of orders.
| Monthly cost, Example 1 | Typical BSP | Menuthere Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Software | Platform fee [varies] | US$39 a month |
| Meta message fees | £175.56 + any markup | £175.56, paid to Meta directly, no markup |
| Commission on orders | Not an ordering system; n/a | 0% |
| Ordering website, menu link, kitchen alerts | Usually not included | Included |
Want to see the setup side? Read how to get the WhatsApp Business API in the UK. For offers, make sure you follow UK GDPR and PECR rules for WhatsApp marketing.
Add WhatsApp ordering with Pro when you're ready.
FAQs
How much does the WhatsApp Business API cost in the UK?
There's no Meta fee to connect. You pay per delivered message: about £0.046 for marketing and £0.016 for utility, authentication and service messages to UK numbers. The first 1,000 service messages a month per number are free. A takeaway with 600 orders a month pays about £38 for order messages. Providers may charge a monthly fee on top.
What is WhatsApp's cost per message?
It depends on the category and the customer's country. For UK numbers: marketing US$0.0635 (about £0.046) and utility US$0.0220 (about £0.016), per Meta's rate cards. Messages customers send you are free.
Is WhatsApp Business free?
The WhatsApp Business app is free. The API is free to connect but charges per message you send. Since 1 October 2026 that includes replies and order updates.
Are replies to customers free on the WhatsApp API?
The first 1,000 a month per number are. From 1 October 2026, Meta charges for service replies beyond that at the utility rate (£0.0159 to UK numbers). Replies inside a free entry point window, from a click-to-WhatsApp ad, stay free for 72 hours.
What is WhatsApp API pricing per month?
There's no fixed monthly price from Meta. Your bill is the number of messages times the rate. A small café might pay under £30 a month. A two-site pizza shop sending weekly offers might pay £700+. Use the cost calculator for your own numbers.
Does WhatsApp charge by my country or my customer's?
Your customer's. Meta prices each message by the country code of the customer's phone number.
Is VAT added to WhatsApp API fees?
Meta's rates exclude VAT. Whether UK VAT appears on your invoice, or you account for it yourself under the reverse charge, depends on how you're billed. Check your invoice or ask your accountant.
Is WhatsApp Cloud API pricing different from other providers?
No. Meta charges the same per-message rates whoever you use. The difference is what the provider adds: platform fees, markups or setup costs.
Sources (10)
- Meta GBP rate card (CSV linked from WhatsApp Help Centre 'About pricing for business broadcasts', faq.whatsapp.com/1356785542323967), United Kingdom, effective 1 July 2026 (accessed 11 Oct 2026)
- Meta for Developers, "Pricing on the WhatsApp Business Platform" (per-message model since 1 July 2025; rate cards effective 1 July 2026; UK marketing rate increase 1 July 2026; 72-hour free entry point window; GBP rate card available): https://developers.facebook.com/documentation/business-messaging/whatsapp/pricing (accessed 11 Oct 2026)
- Meta for Developers, "Pricing for non-template messages" (service and in-window utility charged from 1 Oct 2026; service rate = utility/authentication rate; no volume tiers for service; Meta Business Agent US$2.00 per 1M tokens, one global rate, from 1 Aug 2026): https://developers.facebook.com/documentation/business-messaging/whatsapp/pricing/non-template-messages (accessed 11 Oct 2026)
- WhatsApp Business, "Platform pricing" (charged on delivery; interactive rate lookup): https://whatsappbusiness.com/products/platform-pricing/ (accessed 11 Oct 2026)
- Menuthere, "How much does the WhatsApp Business API cost?" (UK: US$0.0635 marketing, US$0.022 update/reply): https://menuthere.com/en/guides/whatsapp-ordering/how-much-does-the-whatsapp-business-api-cost (accessed 11 Oct 2026)
- Menuthere, "What changed in WhatsApp pricing on 1 October 2026": https://menuthere.com/en/guides/whatsapp-ordering/what-changed-in-whatsapp-pricing-on-1-october-2026 (accessed 11 Oct 2026)
- Menuthere, WhatsApp cost calculator: https://menuthere.com/en/whatsapp-cost-calculator (accessed 11 Oct 2026)
- Uber Eats UK, Pricing (Self-Delivery 13% excl. VAT): https://merchants.ubereats.com/gb/en/pricing/ (accessed 11 Oct 2026)
- European Central Bank euro reference rates, 9 Oct 2026 (USD 1.1206, GBP 0.84763 per EUR; implied US$1 = £0.7564): https://www.ecb.europa.eu/stats/policy_and_exchange_rates/euro_reference_exchange_rates/html/index.en.html (accessed 11 Oct 2026)
- Menuthere pricing: https://menuthere.com/en/pricing (accessed 11 Oct 2026)