What happened
Meta changed WhatsApp Business Platform pricing on 1 October 2026. Service messages, the replies a business sends inside the 24-hour window that opens when a customer writes, had been free since November 2024. They are now charged per message again.
Each business phone number gets 1,000 free delivered service messages a month, and unused messages do not roll over. Utility messages, such as booking and order confirmations, are also charged again when sent inside that 24-hour window; they had been free since July 2025.
Meta asked businesses without a payment method on file to add one by 30 September 2026, or service messages stop being delivered. Rates depend on the country and the message category and are published in Meta's rate card.
“Meta resumed charging, on a per-message basis, for messages that were previously free.”
What it means for an office in Cyprus
The change affects businesses that use the WhatsApp Business Platform through a provider, for example a chatbot, a CRM or a booking system. Meta's platform pricing page does not mention the WhatsApp Business app that many offices use on a phone.
A small office answering a few dozen customers a day usually stays inside the 1,000 free messages a month. A hotel, clinic or estate agency with many conversations can go over, especially if a chatbot sends several short messages instead of one complete answer. Automatic booking confirmations now cost something even when they answer a customer's message.
What to do
- Ask your chatbot or CRM provider whether it uses the WhatsApp Business Platform and how many service messages you sent in October
- Check that your Meta account has a payment method, so replies do not stop
- Ask for chatbot replies that answer fully in one message instead of several short ones
- Keep automatic confirmations only where they really help the customer
- Ask your provider for the per-message rate for Cyprus and an alert when you near the free tier