WhatsApp to charge businesses on token basis for using AI agents from August 1

Meta is changing the way it charges businesses on WhatsApp for using its business AI agent. From August 1, the tech giant will charge WhatsApp Business users on a per-token basis. The company is also bringing back fees for non-template "service messages" from October 1, something it had waived for almost two years.

In Short

• WhatsApp to charge businesses on token basis for AI agents on
• Meta Business Agent was rolled out for WhatsApp Business last month
• WhatsApp also set to remove waiver on fees for non-template service messages

Last month, Meta brought its business AI agent for WhatsApp Business. WhatsApp Business users were able to use the Meta Business Agent for customer interactions. That is, a business could set up its own AI agent to respond to customers for tasks such as appointments and recommendations. And now, Meta is changing the way it charges businesses to use this AI agent.

Meta has announced that businesses on WhatsApp that use the business agent will be billed on a token basis from August 1. The change marks a shift from the current per-message model. The company says that the new model reflects the token consumption needed to process a user’s prompt, as AI takes on a larger role in customer support and sales on the platform.

Apart from the change in pricing for business agents on WhatsApp, the company is also set to bring back charges for some business messages from October 1, something that had been waived for nearly two years.

This announcement comes just days after Cred founder Kunal Shah was appointed as WhatsApp CEO. The Meta-owned platform also plans to rollout usernames globally.

AI agents on WhatsApp?

The Meta Business Agent allows businesses on WhatsApp to set up an AI agent that can answer customer questions, capture and qualify leads, recommend products, book appointments, provide round-the-clock support, drive sales, and hand queries to a person when needed.

The company added that it plans to charge for the agent through some tiers of its WhatsApp Business Premium subscription, while large businesses will pay based on token use.

Before the global release, Meta tested the AI agents for nearly two years in multiple countries including India and Mexico. And the bot is also being made available on Instagram.

How much will Meta charge for WhatsApp AI agent?

Under the revised pricing model, Meta said businesses using Meta Business Agent will pay one global rate of $2 (roughly Rs 189) per 1 million tokens. The company said one message typically uses about 20,000 to 25,000 tokens, or roughly 4 to 5 cents per message, although costs will vary with the complexity of the interaction.

For example, a simple inquiry such as “At what time do you open?” across four messages would use about 80,000 tokens and cost around 16 to 20 cents, while a more complex query such as “I’m stuck on step 3 of this assembly—can you walk me through it?” across 10 messages would use about 250,000 tokens and cost around 40 to 50 cents.

Meta said that, unlike businesses using third-party AI providers, which may pay separately for AI processing and message delivery, its Meta Business Agent pricing combines both into a single charge.

Keep in mind that AI companies like OpenAI and Anthropic have already shifted towards token-based pricing when it comes to their AI tools for enterprise users.

Meta to bring back fees for service messages

From October 1, 2026, Meta will also reintroduce fees for non-template service messages, nearly two years after waiving those charges. Any non-template message sent outside Meta Business Agent will be classified as a service message and billed at the same rates as utility and authentication messages, with pricing varying by market.

The rate for service messages will likely be similar to utility and authentication messages. In India, such messages are currently priced at Rs 0.115 per message, with discounted rates for high-volume businesses. Meta said it may update rates up to quarterly and will publish the rates that take effect on October 1, including service message rates, by September 1..

Meta said the change follows WhatsApp’s move to per-message pricing in July 2025, which replaced its earlier conversation-based billing model. At that time, the company had waived charges for utility messages sent within a 24-hour customer service window, but those exemptions will end in October.

India is a key market for WhatsApp Business. Industry estimates suggest WhatsApp has about 850 million users in India, its largest market, and that the country generates more than $1 billion annually in business messaging revenue. With Meta Business Agent now available globally and pricing changes set to begin from August, this could boost Meta’s efforts to monetise WhatsApp.

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