The free window shrinks
Every reply inside the 24-hour customer-service window used to be free and unlimited. From 1 October 2026 only the first 1,000 a month are free; the rest are billed.
WhatsApp stops being free to reply. Your chat window and Telegram don't.
On 1 October 2026 Meta starts charging for service messages on the WhatsApp Business API — the first 1,000 a month stay free, then you pay per message. Here's what it costs by volume, and how the same agent keeps answering for €0 per message on channels you own.
WHAT CHANGES ON 1 OCTOBER
Meta starts charging for service messages
Service messages are the free-text replies your team sends inside the 24-hour customer window. Free since November 2024, from 1 October 2026 each number gets 1,000 free a month and pays from the 1,001st.
Charged at the utility rate
A service message costs the same per-message price Meta charges for a utility template in the recipient's country — €0.0166 in Spain.
Only on the WhatsApp Business API
It affects businesses on the WhatsApp Business Platform. The free WhatsApp and WhatsApp Business apps are untouched — and so is every other channel.
THE COST BY VOLUME
What replying will cost you
The same conversations, priced per message once you pass your 1,000 free monthly messages. On your chat window and on Telegram that per-message fee is zero.
| Service messages / mo | WhatsApp (Meta, Spain) | Chat window + Telegram | Your saving / mo |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2,000 | €16.60 | €0 | €16.60 |
| 5,000 | €66.40 | €0 | €66.40 |
| 10,000 | €149.40 | €0 | €149.40 |
| 20,000 | €315.40 | €0 | €315.40 |
WhatsApp (Meta, Spain) Meta wholesale rate for Spain: €0.0166 per service message, the same as a utility template. The first 1,000 service messages per number each month are free, so the Meta column only bills the volume above that. VAT (21%) and your provider's margin are extra. Reference figure: Meta's official rate card.
IF YOU USE META'S AI
Meta's own AI is billed on top, by tokens
Let Meta's Business Agent answer and, since 1 August 2026, every AI reply is billed by the tokens it uses — about €0.04 each, on top of the message. Your agent on the chat window and Telegram costs Meta nothing.
| AI replies / mo | Meta's AI (approx.) | Chat window + Telegram | Your saving / mo |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2,000 | ~€80 | €0 | ~€80 |
| 5,000 | ~€200 | €0 | ~€200 |
| 10,000 | ~€400 | €0 | ~€400 |
| 20,000 | ~€800 | €0 | ~€800 |
Estimate: Meta Business Agent is billed at $2 per million tokens (~20,000–25,000 tokens per reply, about $0.04–0.05), effective 1 August 2026; the euro amount is approximate and varies with each reply.
WHERE THE VOLUME GOES
Two channels with no per-message fee
Move the everyday conversations to channels you control. Same agent, same knowledge, nothing to pay Meta per message.
Your chat window, now installable
The web chat widget answers on your own site for €0 per message. And each bot now ships as an installable app (PWA) on its own subdomain, so customers keep it one tap away.
- €0 per message, always
- Installs as an app (PWA)
- Your brand on your subdomain
Telegram, free and unlimited
Connect your agent to Telegram and answer as many messages as you like. There's no per-message or per-conversation platform fee to pay.
- No per-message or per-conversation cost
- The same agent and knowledge
- Live in minutes with your bot
Change the channel, not the agent
Your Aizy agent already answers on the chat window and Telegram. Point the volume there and stop paying Meta to reply.
Create your agent freeFrequently asked questions
Do I lose WhatsApp if I move the volume?
No. WhatsApp stays available; you just stop routing the high-volume service replies through it. Keep it for the customers who choose it and move the rest to channels with no per-message fee.
What is the chat window?
It's Aizy's web chat widget: your agent answering on your own site, for €0 per message. Since recently each bot also installs as an app (PWA) on its own subdomain.
How does it install as an app?
Each bot is served as a PWA at its own subdomain (yourname.ezb.com.es). Customers open it and add it to their home screen — no store, no download.
Where does Meta's rate come from?
From Meta's official pricing for Spain, where a service message is billed at the utility per-message rate (€0.0166) after the first 1,000 free per number each month. VAT and your provider's margin apply on top; check Meta's rate card for the live figure.
How much does it cost to send a WhatsApp Business message?
It depends on the type and country. From 1 October 2026, service messages (your replies within the 24-hour window) get 1,000 free per month per number; above that they're charged at the recipient country's utility template rate — in Spain, €0.0166 per message. The table above shows the cost by volume.
What is a service message on WhatsApp?
It's the reply your business sends within the 24-hour window that opens when a customer messages you. Replying inside that window used to be free; from 1 October 2026 only the first 1,000 per month per number are.
When does Meta start charging for service messages?
On 1 October 2026. From that date each number gets 1,000 free service messages per month and pays for every one above that tier.
What's the difference between a service message and a template?
A service message is your free-form reply within the 24-hour window the customer opened. A template is a message pre-approved by Meta that you can send outside that window (for example, to reopen the conversation). The new 1 October charge applies to service messages, and their price uses the country's utility template rate as its reference.