From tomorrow, October 1, 2026 Meta will begin charging Kenyan businesses that use the WhatsApp Business Platform about Ksh0.52 for every delivered utility message sent to a customer, as part of its push to earn revenue from features that were free and firms that have not added a payment method by today risk having their service messages stopped.
The charge applies to messages sent in response to customers, even while the 24-hour customer service window is still open. Meta will also start charging for service messages, which are non-template replies sent after a customer starts the conversation. Only delivered messages are billed and customers are not charged for contacting businesses.
The charge targets the paid WhatsApp Business Platform, the API version used by banks, airlines and large shops that send thousands of automated messages, not the free WhatsApp Business app that small sellers use on their phones. Businesses using third-party software or solution providers may pay more than Meta's listed rates because those providers can add their own charges.
Marketing messages remain subject to existing charges of roughly Sh3.20 to Sh3.30 each, and are not part of the October 1 change. Meta's AI Business Agent messages have been charged since August 1 using a token-based system rather than a flat per-message rate.
