WhatsApp Billing & Pricing Guide

A comprehensive overview of WhatsApp pricing, billing, and rebilling for agencies and sub-accounts in HighLevel.

Table of Contents

October 2026 Billing Changes [Effective 1 October 2026]

Two categories of messages that are currently free will become billable from 1 October 2026. Both changes apply on a per-message basis, consistent with how template messages are already charged.

Change 1 — Service Messages Become Billable

Change 2 — In-Window Utility Messages Become Billable

Before vs. After at a Glance

How the 1,000 free service messages work

• The allowance is tracked per WhatsApp phone number, not per sub-account or per contact.
• The first 1,000 service messages delivered from that number in a calendar month are free.
• Once the number passes 1,000, every additional service message that month is charged per message.
• The counter resets to zero at the start of the next month.

Change 3 — Rate Card Updates

Per-message rates change in the following markets from 1 October 2026. Markets marked * are also moving out of their regional "Rest Of" pricing bucket — see Change 4 below.

* Market is being moved out of its respective "Rest Of" pricing region to be standalone on the rate card.

The nine markets with utility rate updates were given four months' notice rather than the usual one month.

Change 4 — Newly-Standalone Markets

Six markets moved out of their respective "Rest Of" pricing region on 1 July 2026 — Hong Kong, Singapore, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Qatar. From 1 October 2026, a further nine markets become standalone on the rate card:

For those markets, this means:

What "standalone" means for your bill

Until 30 September 2026 a message to one of these countries is priced at its regional "Rest Of" rate.

From 1 October 2026 the country has its own line on the rate card, with its own per-message rate.

What you should do before 1 October 2026

• Review your rebilling multiplier. Service and in-window utility volume that cost you nothing will start carrying a per-message cost.
• Audit high-volume support flows. Sub-accounts that rely heavily on free-form support replies are the most exposed to the change.
• Keep using Click to WhatsApp ads. Free Entry Point conversations stay free for the full 72-hour window.
• Watch your per-number volume. Numbers that stay under 1,000 service messages a month are unaffected.

July 2026 Pricing Update [Effective July 2026 Billing]

The following rate changes and new named market additions took effect with July 2026 billing. All changes are reflected in the full rates table in Section 4.

Rate Updates

New Named Markets

Six markets now have dedicated rates instead of billing under a regional "Rest of" rate:

Highlight: Poland Marketing dropped 57% vs the old regional rate ($0.0903 to $0.0384). Hong Kong, Singapore, Hungary, Romania, and Qatar all moved to higher Utility rates than their previous regional bucket.

Overview of WhatsApp Billing

WhatsApp in HighLevel now uses a per-message pricing model, charging businesses for each delivered message rather than a flat fee per 24-hour conversation window. This shift offers greater transparency and control over messaging costs, enabling more precise budgeting and strategy.

Messages are categorized into Marketing, Utility, Authentication, and Service types — each with its own pricing logic and strategic use cases.

By aligning your outreach with these categories, you can take full advantage of cost-saving opportunities while maintaining high-quality engagement. Note that from 1 October 2026, two previously free categories — service messages and in-window utility messages — become billable, per-message rate card updates take effect in several markets, and nine markets move out of their regional "Rest Of" bucket to become standalone. See October 2026 Billing Changes.

Key Benefits of WhatsApp's Pricing Structure

WhatsApp Messaging Rates by Market/Country [Effective July 2026 Billing]

Understanding conversation rates by market or country helps businesses plan communication costs effectively. Rates vary depending on the type of message (Marketing, Utility, or Service) and the region where the message is sent.

Service column applies through 30 September 2026. Service conversations are free in all markets up to and including 30 September 2026. From 1 October 2026, service messages are charged on a per-message basis, with the first 1,000 service messages per phone number, per month free. Utility messages sent inside an open customer service window also become billable on that date at the market Utility rate shown below. Per-message rate card updates also take effect on 1 October 2026, and nine markets move out of their regional "Rest Of" bucket to become standalone. The Marketing and Utility rates in the table below apply through 30 September 2026 for the affected markets. See October 2026 Billing Changes.

Rows highlighted in green are named markets added in July 2026. Updated rates are shown in red. The Service column reflects pricing through 30 September 2026; from 1 October 2026 service messages are charged per message after the first 1,000 per phone number each month. Rows tagged Rate change 1 Oct 2026 have a per-message rate update taking effect on that date.

WhatsApp Subscription Charges for Agencies

Understanding subscription charges is essential for agencies and locations to plan their WhatsApp usage and billing effectively.

WhatsApp Messaging Rates

Understanding WhatsApp's messaging rates is critical for managing costs effectively. Rates vary based on the template category (Marketing, Utility, Service) and the country/region where the message is sent.

• Payment Processing Fees: A 5% Stripe fee is added to these rates, which should be considered when setting up rebilling.
• Regional Variations: Rates differ significantly by region, so plan campaigns with regional costs in mind.
• New Billable Categories from 1 Oct 2026: Service messages (beyond the first 1,000 per phone number each month) and in-window utility messages become chargeable — factor this into your multiplier.
• Rate Card Updates from 1 Oct 2026: Per-message rates change in several markets, and nine markets become standalone with their own rate — see October 2026 Billing Changes.

Rate Application Example
Assume a Marketing message is sent to the U.S.

• Base rate: $0.0263
• Multiplier: 1.5X
• Final cost to the client: $0.0263 × 1.5 = $0.0395

WhatsApp Message-Based Pricing [Effective 1 July 2025]

Starting July 1, 2025, WhatsApp adopts a message-based pricing model that charges businesses for each delivered message, rather than per conversation. Below are the primary message categories:

IMPORTANT: Each category has specific initiation methods.

• Marketing, utility, and authentication conversations can ONLY be opened with template messages.
• Service conversations can ONLY be opened with free-form messages.

To learn how to choose an appropriate category when creating your WhatsApp templates, see Template Categorization Guidelines.

Template Messages vs. Non-Template Messages

* CSW = Customer Service Window    ** FEP = Free Entry Point

Service Conversations [Effective 1 November 2024]

This 24-hour timer begins when a customer messages you. During this window, free-form messages can be sent without opening additional conversations.

• Used to resolve customer inquiries and issues.
• Service conversations are initiated when a free-form message is delivered to a customer, provided no other conversation of any type is open.
• These conversations rely on an active customer service window between you and the customer.

The customer service window is a 24-hour timer that starts with a user message and resets with each message.

Free-form messages are any message type that is not a template.

Change from 1 October 2026

Through 30 September 2026, businesses can respond to users inside an open customer service window via free-form messages or utility messages at no charge.

From 1 October 2026:
• Service messages are charged per message — the first 1,000 per phone number, per month are free, and the counter resets monthly.
• Utility messages sent inside the window are charged per message at the market Utility rate.

Free Entry Point Conversations [Effective 1 June 2023]

Free entry point conversations provide cost-saving opportunities for businesses by allowing free communication for a limited duration. They are not affected by the 1 October 2026 changes and remain free.

Example of Free Entry Point Conversation

If a customer messages you via a Click to WhatsApp Ad at 10 am and you respond at 10 pm the same day:

• The free entry point conversation starts at 10 pm and lasts for 72 hours.

WhatsApp Calling Pricing

WhatsApp Calling rates are charged per minute and vary by market. Rates listed below are in USD and apply to business-initiated calls. User-initiated (inbound) calls are free of charge.

Example: A 56-second call = 9.33 pulses → rounded up to 10 pulses.
Fractional pulses are always counted as one full pulse. Calls are billed in 6-second pulses.

Call Rates by Market (USD per minute)

Business-Initiated Calling is NOT available if your business phone number is registered in: United States, Canada, Egypt, Vietnam, or Nigeria.

Note: The country restriction applies to your business phone number. Your customers can be located in any supported country.

Rebilling WhatsApp Messages

Rebilling offers agencies flexibility in setting WhatsApp messaging pricing for clients, creating additional revenue opportunities.

How to Set Up WhatsApp Rebilling

1. Access Billing Settings: Navigate to the Settings tab in HighLevel.
2. Select WhatsApp Billing: Click on the Billing section and locate the WhatsApp billing option.
3. Enter Payment Details: Provide the necessary payment information to enable billing.
4. Choose Subscription Plan: Select the subscription plan that best fits your agency or client location needs.
5. Enable Rebilling: Configure rebilling options to charge your clients with your preferred pricing.
6. Verify Setup: Review the billing setup to ensure accuracy and completeness.

Click here for a more in-depth setup guide for WhatsApp messaging and rebilling!

Frequently Asked Questions

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