Dear Valued Customer, |
Meta has confirmed a set of pricing changes to the WhatsApp Business Platform that take effect on 1 October 2026. Future Communications Company is sharing the details early so you can review your messaging and budgets ahead of the date. |
The changes affect all businesses using the WhatsApp Business Platform (API). Two message types that are free today become chargeable, and several markets move to new rates. |
What is changing 1. Service messages become chargeable. Replies sent inside the 24-hour customer service window have been free since November 2024. From 1 October they are billed at each market’s utility rate. Every business phone number receives 1,000 free service messages per month; charging begins at the 1,001st.
2. Utility messages inside the service window become chargeable. Utility templates sent while a customer service window is open have been free since July 2025. From 1 October they are billed.
3. Nine markets move to their own rate cards. Kuwait, Oman and Iraq are priced separately from 1 October instead of at the Rest of Middle East regional rate. Their message volumes also begin accruing to market-specific volume tiers. |
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■ KUWAIT — Priority Review (META Rate Card) |
Kuwait moves out of the Rest of Middle East pricing region and onto its own rate card. Utility and authentication messages increase materially, and marketing rates more than double. If you send OTP, transactional or promotional traffic to +965 numbers, we recommend reviewing your volumes now. |
Message category | Current – USD
(to 30 Sep) | Current – KD
(to 30 Sep) | New – USD
(from 1 Oct) | New – KD
(from 1 Oct) | Marketing
Promotional broadcasts | $0.0341 | KD 0.0107 | $0.0792 | KD 0.024481 | Utility
Order, delivery & account updates | $0.0091 | KD 0.003 | $0.0440 | KD 0.013600 | Authentication
OTP & verification | $0.0091 | KD 0.003 | $0.0440 | KD 0.013600 | Authentication – International
New rate for Kuwait | — | – | $0.1200 | KD 0.037092 | Service
Replies in the 24-hour window | Free | $0.0440 Above 1000 | $0.0440 | KD 0.013600 |
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RECOMMENDED NEXT STEPS |
No immediate action is required, and no change is needed to your integration. We recommend the following before 1 October:
1. Review the last three months of message volume by category and destination market.
2. Re-forecast messaging spend for Q4 2026, giving particular attention to Kuwait traffic.
3. Review automated journeys and support workflows, since service and in-window utility messages carry a cost from 1 October.
4. Consider consolidating notification templates and reviewing send frequency on high-volume campaigns. |
