01/10/2026
✅ Personal chats and the free Business app remain entirely free; the 14 charge only applies to messages sent via the WhatsApp Business (API).
📊 What is ?
• 📅 Effective Date: October 1, 2026
• 💰 The Rate: ₹0.115 base price plus 18% GST equals roughly 14 paise per message.
• 🎁 Free Allowance: Each business number gets 1,000 free service messages monthly.
• 🎯 Who Pays: Medium-to-large companies using automated APIs for customer support and service replies.
• 🚫 Unaffected: Regular users chatting with friends/family and small businesses using the standalone smartphone app do not pay.