WhatsApp's New Pricing 2026, Explained Simply
Since October 1, 2026, WhatsApp charges businesses for replies again, with 1,000 free per number each month. What changed, what's still free, and prices in Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
The short version
- Since October 1, 2026, Meta charges businesses for replies on WhatsApp again.
- Each WhatsApp number gets 1,000 free replies every month. You pay from reply 1,001.
- A reply now costs about 4 halalas in Saudi Arabia and about 6 fils in the UAE. Meta bills you directly.
What changed?
On WhatsApp, a reply is any normal message your business sends after a customer writes to you. Meta calls these service messages.
From November 2024 until September 2026, replies were free. On October 1, 2026, Meta started charging for them again. It now charges per message, and it gives every business a free monthly amount.
Replies count the same whether your AI assistant or a person on your team writes them.
The 4 types of WhatsApp messages
| Type | What it is | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Service | A normal reply, within 24 hours of the customer’s last message | ”Yes, we’re open until 10pm.” |
| Utility | A template about something the customer already did | Order confirmation, booking reminder |
| Marketing | A template that promotes something | Offer, new product, “we miss you” |
| Authentication | A template with a login code | ”Your code is 482910” |
A template is a message you get approved by Meta in advance. You need one to message a customer who hasn’t written to you in the last 24 hours.
How the 1,000 free replies work
- Per number. Each WhatsApp Business number gets its own 1,000.
- Per month. The count resets on the 1st of every month.
- No rollover. Unused free replies don’t carry over to next month.
- Per message. Every reply counts, not every conversation. Ten replies in one chat use 10.
- Replies only. Templates are charged separately, from the first one.
What is still free
- Messages customers send you. Meta never charges for these.
- Your first 1,000 replies each month, on each number.
- Chats that start from a click-to-WhatsApp ad. When a customer taps your ad and messages you on their phone, and you reply within 24 hours, Meta opens a free window of up to 7 days. Everything you send that customer in that window is free, templates included.
Prices in Saudi Arabia and the UAE
Meta’s prices per message, from October 1, 2026:
| Message | Saudi Arabia | UAE |
|---|---|---|
| Reply | SAR 0.0401 | AED 0.0576 |
| Utility or authentication template | SAR 0.0401 | AED 0.0576 |
| Marketing template | SAR 0.2159 | AED 0.2115 |
In US dollars: a reply is $0.0107 in Saudi Arabia and $0.0157 in the UAE. A marketing template is $0.0576 in both.
- The price depends on the customer’s country (their phone number’s country code), not yours. A Saudi business replying to a UAE number pays the UAE price.
- Meta bills in your account’s currency. If it’s set to SAR or AED, you see the local prices above.
- Utility and authentication get cheaper at very high volumes. Replies do not.
Two examples
A clinic in Riyadh sends 5,000 replies to Saudi customers in one month.
- The first 1,000 are free.
- The other 4,000 cost SAR 0.0401 each.
- Total: about SAR 160 ($43) for the month.
A shop in Dubai sends 5,000 replies to UAE customers in one month.
- The first 1,000 are free.
- The other 4,000 cost AED 0.0576 each.
- Total: about AED 230 ($63) for the month.
If some of those replies went to customers who came from a click-to-WhatsApp ad, those would be free, and the bill would be lower.
Other countries
Replying to customers outside Saudi Arabia and the UAE? Here are Meta’s prices in US dollars:
| Country | Replies, utility, authentication | Marketing |
|---|---|---|
| Kuwait | $0.0440 | $0.0792 |
| Qatar | $0.0120 | $0.0341 |
| Oman | $0.0247 | $0.0341 |
| Bahrain, Jordan, Lebanon, Yemen | $0.0091 | $0.0392 |
| Iraq | $0.0079 | $0.0341 |
| Egypt | $0.0036 | $0.0644 |
What you need to do
- Check your payment method. Meta bills these fees to the payment method on your WhatsApp Business account, in Meta’s Billing Hub.
- Don’t skip it. Without a payment method, Meta still delivers your first 1,000 replies each month. After that, your replies stop being delivered until you add one.
- Nothing changes in ReachMore. Your AI keeps replying as before. These fees go from Meta to you. They’re separate from your ReachMore plan and your AI credits.
Prices checked: November 2, 2026, on Meta’s official pages listed below.
Common questions
Do messages my customers send me cost anything?
No. Meta only charges for messages your business sends. Messages from customers to you are always free.
Is a whole conversation charged once, or every message?
Every message. Since July 2025, Meta charges per delivered message, not per conversation. Ten replies in one chat count as ten messages.
Do replies written by my team count, or only AI replies?
Both. Any free-form reply your business sends counts as a service message, whether a person or an AI wrote it.
Do template messages use up the 1,000 free messages?
No. The free 1,000 covers service messages (normal replies) only. Marketing, utility and authentication templates are charged from the first message, unless they are sent in a free ad window.
Who sends me the bill?
Meta. WhatsApp fees are charged to the payment method on your WhatsApp Business account in Meta's Billing Hub. They are separate from your ReachMore plan.
Can the prices change again?
Yes, but only four times a year: on January 1, April 1, July 1 or October 1. Meta gives at least one month's notice before a rate change.