- Meta will start charging Kenyan businesses for WhatsApp service messages.
- Businesses using the platform could pay about Ksh 0.52 per message.
- The new fees take effect from October 1, 2026.
Kenyan businesses using the WhatsApp Business Platform will face a new cost from October 1, 2026, when Meta begins charging for service messages sent to customers.
The change ends the current free treatment of service messages, including responses sent to customers within the 24-hour customer service window. Meta says the platform will charge businesses based on messages delivered, with rates determined by the recipient’s market and message category.
In Kenya, the new service messaging rate is expected to be around Ksh 0.52 per delivered message, according to local reporting on Meta’s updated pricing. Marketing messages carry a significantly higher charge, with the Kenyan rate reported at about Ksh 3 per message.
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The change could raise communication costs for businesses that rely heavily on WhatsApp for customer support, order updates and other customer interactions. For businesses handling thousands of customer conversations, even a small charge per message could add up quickly.
However, the new pricing does not apply to ordinary WhatsApp users or businesses using the free WhatsApp Business app for direct customer conversations.
It affects businesses using the WhatsApp Business Platform, including API-based systems used for communication at scale, customer service tools and automated business messaging.
