The WhatsApp Business API is billed by Meta per conversation, not per message, since November 2024. A conversation is a 24-hour window between your business and a customer, charged by category: marketing, utility, authentication, or service. Service conversations inside the 24-hour window are free.

Why the category decides your bill

Marketing conversations cost the most, utility conversations less, and service conversations are free. Where a message falls depends on the template category and when the customer last replied. Teams that send "booking reminder" utility templates instead of marketing blasts can cut the fee in half.

Country rates differ

Meta publishes per-country rates. Gulf countries sit in the mid tier; India is dramatically cheaper; the US is the most expensive. The calculator above uses Meta's published rates as of November 2025.

Provider markup is where the bill doubles

Most WhatsApp API providers resell conversations with a markup on top of Meta fees. Wutt passes Meta fees through unchanged — you pay Meta directly for message fees and Wutt a flat plan price. That single line item is why two CRMs at the same volume can bill very differently.