Meta to Charge for WhatsApp Business Messages in India from October 1, 2026
Starting October 1, 2026, Meta will revise WhatsApp Business Platform pricing in India, charging businesses for certain messages previously free. Utility messages like order confirmations and delivery updates will incur a fee of about Rs 0.115 per message plus GST, even within the 24-hour customer service window. Businesses receive 1,000 free service messages monthly per phone number; charges apply beyond this. These changes affect WhatsApp Business API users, not regular WhatsApp or WhatsApp Business app users.
First-hand measurement across 2 sources
We measured how 2 outlets covered this story. No outlet gave this story a measurable political slant — there is no left–right reading to report. Overall sentiment is neutral (50/100). Lens Score 39/100.
Outlets measured: freepressjournal, indiatoday. See how each one headlined and framed the same story in the source comparison below.
AI Analysis
Sentiment was consistent across outlets (50–50/100), indicating broadly factual reporting rather than editorialising.
Coverage timeline
indiatoday broke this story on 29 Sept, 09:07 am. Other outlets followed.