01/10/2026 · Meta Cloud API
How to calculate WhatsApp API costs, step by step
Run one estimate for each recipient market. Use delivered messages, rather than customers or conversations.
1. Choose market and currency
A Brazilian recipient phone number uses the Brazil market. Currency comes from your Meta account and does not depend on this page language. Use the billing-currency card instead of converting USD prices with a daily exchange rate. For mixed markets, calculate each market and add totals in the same currency.
2. Count business messages by category
Add delivered marketing, utility, authentication and service messages. An interaction with five business replies consumes five service messages. Exclude incoming messages, failed deliveries and messages sent through the WhatsApp Business app. If a number uses coexistence, separate app sends from API sends.
3. Apply allowances and tiers carefully
Service has 1,000 free messages per number/month. Utility and authentication discounts apply only to messages within each tier. Portfolio accounts accrue by market and category; service has no volume discounts. Enter already-billed volume from other accounts in optional adjustments.
4. Add costs beyond delivery
The example below totals $147.50 in Meta fees. A hypothetical $60 platform fee would raise it to $207.50. Use your actual contract price rather than this illustration. Allow separately for taxes, ads, calling, third-party AI and optional provider features.
Example: Brazil, USD, one number, no FEP
| Category | Calculation | Meta fee |
|---|---|---|
| Marketing | 1,000 × $0.0625 | $62.50 |
| Utility | 3,000 × $0.0068 | $20.40 |
| Authentication | 500 × $0.0068 | $3.40 |
| Service | (10,000 − 1,000) × $0.0068 | $61.20 |
| Delivery total | Sum of four categories | $147.50 |