Meta will introduce per-message charges for certain messages sent by businesses through the WhatsApp Business Platform from October 1, 2026, a move that could increase communication costs for Nigerian companies.
According to PUNCH, the new pricing will apply to businesses using the official WhatsApp Business Platform, formerly known as the WhatsApp Business API. Banks, fintech companies, e-commerce businesses, telecom operators, logistics firms and large retailers that use the platform at scale are among those likely to be affected.
The charges will not apply to ordinary WhatsApp users or most small businesses using the standard WhatsApp Business app.
Under the current system, when a customer contacts a business, a 24-hour customer service window opens. Businesses can currently send free-form service messages during that period without paying Meta.
That will change from October 1.
Meta’s developer documentation states that it will begin charging businesses per service message, while qualifying utility messages sent in response to users within an open 24-hour customer service window will also become chargeable.
Utility messages include payment confirmations, order updates and delivery notifications.
For Nigerian businesses, the reported Meta charge is about $0.0101 per service or utility message, equivalent to approximately ₦14 using an exchange rate of ₦1,340 to $1.
Marketing messages are considerably more expensive at about $0.062 per message, or roughly ₦84 at the same exchange rate.
The potential impact becomes more significant for companies sending large volumes of messages. A Nigerian fintech sending 500,000 chargeable messages at $0.0101 each would incur about $5,050, equivalent to approximately ₦6.8m, in Meta fees alone.
Businesses using third-party Business Solution Providers may also face additional provider charges.
Meta has also warned businesses and Solution Providers to add a valid payment method before the new pricing takes effect. Businesses without a payment method on file by September 30, 2026, could have their chargeable service messages blocked from October 1.
The change is part of Meta’s broader move towards per-message pricing on the WhatsApp Business Platform, meaning Nigerian companies that rely heavily on WhatsApp for customer service and transactional communication will need to factor the new costs into their operating expenses.
