Question

How much does it cost to send and receive WhatsApp messages with Twilio?
 

Product

Programmable Messaging
 

Answer

Meta changed their pricing structure on July 1st, 2025. This article reflects this new pricing structure but if you want to understand what changed and how it compares to the previous fee structure, see here.
 

Additional Information 

There are two kinds of fee applied to WhatsApp messages - one from Twilio and one from Meta. Twilio's fees depend on which product you are using:

• Programmable Messaging API - per message fee
• Conversations API - additional per MAU fee
• Flex - per seat or AUH fee, unlimited messages subject to fair use policy
• Verify - per successful verification fee

Meta fees are charged on a per template message basis and we pass these fees through to your Twilio account. Meta fees are incurred:

• Per message for each marketing template
• Per message for each authentication template (including messages sent via Twilio Verify)
• Per message for each utility template sent outside of a customer service window

Meta's fees are different depending on the country and there are separate charges in some countries if you are sending high volumes of authentication templates to international destinations. Meta may change rates for destinations and you can check current prices on our pricing calculator or in Meta’s rate card section here. If a change in rate results in an increased bill for you, we will inform you through targeted email communications.

Meta also provides volume discounts for Utility and Authentication templates which allow businesses to unlock more attractive pricing with higher volumes of template messages. 

You can find the tier limits and fees for each country in Meta’s rate card section here.

See the next sections for more details on Meta's fees and billing concepts.

Customer service windows

A 24 hour customer service window starts when an end-user sends your business a WhatsApp message and resets every time you get a new message from them. Utility template messages do not incur any Meta fees if they are sent during a customer service window. Authentication and Marketing template messages do continue to incur fees during the customer service window. 

Free Entry Point Customer Service Windows

Free entry points are when an end user sends you a message through Click to WhatsApp Ad or Facebook Page Call-to-Action buttons. If a WhatsApp user messages you via a free entry point surface, you can respond with any type of message for free within 24 hours; this opens a free entry point customer service window that lasts 72 hours. You can continue to message the user using any type of message while this window is open without any Meta template charges. Twilio per-message costs still apply.

Authentication Template International Fees

WhatsApp charges International Fees for certain eligible businesses sending authentication templates to end users.

The international rates apply to eligible* businesses for Authentication templates sent to:

• India (+91)
• Indonesia (+62)
• Egypt (+20)
• Malaysia (+60)
• Nigeria (+234)
• Pakistan (+92)
• Saudi Arabia (+966)
• South Africa (+27)
• United Arab Emirates (+971)

Businesses incur these authentication-international rates only if two specific conditions are both satisfied:

• The business’s Primary Business Location from their Meta Business Manager account is a different country than a rate’s country.
• The business is considered eligible* for authentication-international rates for the country.

*Meta considers businesses as eligible for a country’s authentication-international rate if they send more than 750,000 Authentication templates in a moving 30-day period to users from that country based on their country code. Once you are determined eligible in one country, you will be determined eligible in all countries. Eligibility is permanent and cannot be reversed.

Review Meta’s business eligibility requirements to learn more and understand if your business is subject to these rates.

We will bill eligible customers according to the rate applied by WhatsApp for authentication-international fees on the dates from which Meta applies them as well as any Twilio specific fees. Fees apply to messages sent using the Programmable Messaging API as well as Verify. You can see Meta’s current rate cards here.

Volume tier discounts

Volume tiers are based on the category of templates being sent plus the country they are being sent to, for example, you could find yourself on multiple tiers at once:

• Tier B for Indonesia - Authentication
• Tier B for Indonesia - Authentication International*
• Tier C for Brazil - Utility
• Tier A for Indonesia - Utility

Tier discounts are applied on a monthly basis and reset each month. Note that utility templates sent during an open customer service window are not charged a Meta fee, and thus do not count toward volume tiers. Twilio will pass through all discounted fees from Meta through to you.

You can find the tier limits and fees for each country in Meta’s rate card section here.

*WhatsApp charges International Fees in certain countries for eligible businesses sending authentication templates to users. These international authentication messages are aggregated separately from non-international authentication messages for volume tiers.