WhatsApp service message charges in India (October 2026)
Since 1 October 2026, Meta charges Indian businesses about ₹0.115 plus GST for each service message after the first 1,000 per phone number each month. A service message is a reply your business sends inside WhatsApp's 24-hour customer service window. Auto-replies count, because they are replies.
Template messages, such as broadcasts, reminders sent outside the 24-hour window, and one-time passwords, are billed separately under Meta's own per-message rate card. Every SyncBot plan adds 500 to 5,000 more free replies on top of Meta's 1,000, and SyncBot pays Meta's fee on those for you.
Last updated: 12 October 2026
What counts as a service message?
When a customer messages your WhatsApp Business number, a 24-hour customer service window opens. Every message your business sends back inside that window is a service message. That includes typed replies, automatic keyword replies, buttons, list menus, images and documents.
Each new message from the customer restarts the 24-hour window. Once the window has closed, you can only start the conversation again with an approved template message, which Meta bills under its template rates rather than as a service message.
What it costs: worked examples
Each figure below is Meta's service-message fee for one phone number in one month, before 18% GST, at about ₹0.115 per reply. The "WhatsApp API alone" column counts only Meta's 1,000 free replies. The SyncBot columns include each plan's extra free replies.
| Replies sent in a month | WhatsApp API alone | Growth (1,500 free) | Pro (2,500 free) | Enterprise (6,000 free) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 | ₹0 | ₹0 | ₹0 | ₹0 |
| 2,500 | ₹172.50 | ₹115.00 | ₹0 | ₹0 |
| 5,000 | ₹460.00 | ₹402.50 | ₹287.50 | ₹0 |
| 10,000 | ₹1,035.00 | ₹977.50 | ₹862.50 | ₹460.00 |
The plan price itself is separate: Growth, Pro and Enterprise cost the monthly price shown on the pricing page. Template messages are not included in any column.
Who pays Meta, and how
Meta's first 1,000 service messages per number each month are free. On SyncBot, the next 500 (Growth), 1,500 (Pro) or 5,000 (Enterprise) are paid by SyncBot. Anything beyond that is billed by Meta directly to your WhatsApp Business account. SyncBot adds no markup to Meta's fees.
Five ways to keep the bill down
- Answer completely in one message. Three short replies cost three times as much as one complete reply.
- Use list menus and buttons, so customers find prices, timings and locations without a back-and-forth.
- Send brochures and price lists as a single document instead of several images.
- Check your monthly reply count and pick the plan whose free replies cover it.
- Keep promotions for opted-in contacts, sent as broadcast templates. These are billed differently from service replies, and spamming hurts your number’s quality rating.
Frequently asked questions
Are WhatsApp auto-replies still free in India?
Partly. Since 1 October 2026, the first 1,000 service messages per phone number each month are free. After that, Meta charges about ₹0.115 plus GST per reply, and auto-replies count the same as typed replies. SyncBot plans add 500 to 5,000 more free replies on top of Meta's 1,000.
Are the 1,000 free replies per number or per account?
Per phone number, per month. A business with two WhatsApp numbers gets 1,000 free service messages on each.
Is GST charged on WhatsApp message fees?
Yes. Meta's fee of about ₹0.115 per reply is before GST, and SyncBot's plan prices are also shown before 18% GST.
Are broadcasts and template messages part of the free replies?
No. Free replies cover service messages only, meaning replies inside the 24-hour customer service window. Template messages, such as broadcasts, reminders sent outside the window and one-time passwords, are billed separately by Meta under its template rate card.
What happens when my free replies run out?
Your replies keep sending, and nothing stops working. Meta bills the extra service messages to your WhatsApp Business account at its standard rate. On SyncBot you can move to a plan with more free replies at any time from the Billing page.
How do I try SyncBot?
Register at syncbot.in and connect your WhatsApp Business number. Every plan starts with a 7-day free trial with no card required. After the trial, plans cost ₹999, ₹1,999 or ₹4,599 a month plus 18% GST.