Meta will begin charging Kenyan businesses for service messages sent via the WhatsApp Business Platform on 1 October 2026, at roughly Ksh0.52 per successfully delivered message.

Each business phone number receives a free quota of 1,000 delivered service messages per month; charges apply only after this allowance is exhausted.

Service replies that follow a customer‑initiated conversation will also be billed once the free quota is used, whereas previously many such messages were free within the 24‑hour window.

Utility template messages sent within the 24‑hour window will no longer benefit from the free allowance and will be charged at the applicable utility rate.

How the rates compare with existing charges

Marketing messages were already subject to per‑message fees, costing about Ksh3.20‑Ksh3.30 each; the October change does not alter those rates.

The new service‑message fee follows Meta’s broader shift toward per‑message pricing that began with charges for business‑initiated marketing, utility and authentication templates.

Potential cost implications for Kenyan firms

A retailer sending 10,000 chargeable service messages each month would pay roughly Ksh4,680 after the first 1,000 free messages, based on the Ksh0.52 rate.

Businesses that already send marketing messages would continue to incur costs of about Ksh32,000‑Ksh33,000 for 10,000 messages, as those rates remain unchanged.

Charges apply only to messages that are successfully delivered; failed deliveries are not billed.

Small traders using the free WhatsApp Business app on a phone, without the Business Platform or API, are not directly subject to these fees.

Firms that rely on third‑party Business Solution Providers may see higher costs if those providers add their own fees or mark‑ups.

Meta’s announcement of affected sectors

Meta noted that businesses and organisations using the WhatsApp Business Platform or API at scale—including banks, fintechs, insurers, airlines, logistics firms, retailers, e‑commerce platforms, healthcare providers and telecommunications companies—will be impacted by the new pricing.

The company said that automated payment alerts, booking confirmations, appointment reminders, account notifications and delivery updates sent through WhatsApp could see messaging expenses rise under the new model.