There are two bills on the WhatsApp Business API: what Meta charges you per conversation, and what your software provider charges for the platform on top. This page separates the two, shows worked examples in rupees, and explains where GST applies.
Meta invoices you for conversations through your WhatsApp Business Account. Your software provider — Repli, or anyone else — invoices you separately for the platform. Quotes that show a single "per message" number usually bundle both, which makes comparison hard.
Meta bills a 24-hour conversation window by category. Every message inside that window is included, so a long support thread in one day costs the same as a short one.
Marketing conversations cost the most, utility conversations (order and delivery updates) cost considerably less, and authentication conversations (OTPs) sit between them. Getting the category right is the biggest lever on your bill.
When a customer messages you first, you can reply inside the 24-hour service window. Meta has offered free service conversations under its current rate card — check your own WhatsApp Manager billing page for what applies to your account.
Repli's WhatsApp plans are flat monthly fees in rupees from the same price list shown on the pricing page — Pro at ₹499 / US$6 per month and Pro+ at ₹1,499 / US$18 per month. Nothing is charged per conversation by Repli.
Submitting message templates to Meta costs nothing. You only pay when a template is actually delivered and opens a billable conversation.
Mostly utility conversations, which sit at the cheaper end of the rate card, plus occasional marketing pushes for sales and cart recovery.
Mostly customer-initiated service conversations, so the bill is dominated by the flat software fee rather than Meta charges.
Authentication conversations at volume — predictable, and worth modelling carefully because the count scales with logins, not with sales.
Meta prices the WhatsApp Business Platform per conversation. A conversation is a 24-hour window that opens when the first message in a category is delivered, and every message exchanged inside that window is covered by the same charge. This is why message volume is a poor proxy for cost: ten messages sorting out a delivery problem on the same day cost one conversation, not ten.
Conversations fall into categories — marketing, utility, authentication and service — and each category has its own rate in each country. India has its own rate card, and Meta revises it periodically. That is why the calculator on this page pre-fills rates with a "last checked" date and lets you edit them rather than presenting them as fixed facts.
On top of Meta, you pay whoever provides the software: the inbox your team replies from, the automation rules, the template manager, the CRM and the integrations. That fee is a business decision by the vendor, not a Meta charge, and it is where quotes differ most.
Software services supplied in India generally attract 18% GST, and Repli invoices include it. If you are GST-registered, that tax is usually available as input credit — your accountant will confirm based on how you use the service.
Meta bills its conversation charges through your WhatsApp Business Account, and how tax appears there depends on your billing country and the entity Meta invoices. Read your WhatsApp Manager billing statement rather than assuming a number, especially in the first month.
The calculator above adds 18% on the combined subtotal so that the figure you see is closer to what actually leaves your bank account. Treat it as an estimate for budgeting, not as a tax opinion.
A small ecommerce store sending 2,000 order and delivery updates a month sits almost entirely in the utility category. At the pre-filled India utility rate, the Meta side of the bill is a few hundred rupees, and the software plan is the larger line item.
A brand running a monthly sale to 5,000 opted-in customers is buying 5,000 marketing conversations. Marketing is the most expensive category, so it pays to segment: send to people who bought or engaged recently rather than to the whole list.
A support-led business — a clinic, a salon, a service provider — mostly answers customers who messaged first. The conversation volume is low, so the monthly cost is dominated by the flat plan, and the value comes from response times rather than send volume. That is the pattern the shared inbox and AI agent are built for.
Use the right template category. Sending an order update as a marketing template costs more and risks rejection; utility templates exist precisely for transactional content.
Reply inside the service window. When customers message first, answering within 24 hours avoids opening a new billable template conversation later.
Segment marketing sends instead of broadcasting to everyone. Repli campaigns let you send to a saved segment, which usually cuts marketing conversation count sharply without cutting revenue.
Automate the repeat questions. Shipping status, opening hours and pricing answered automatically keep conversations short and free your team for the ones that convert.
Two components: Meta charges per 24-hour conversation at its published India rates, which vary by category, and your software provider charges a platform fee. Repli's WhatsApp plans start at ₹499 / US$6 per month, billed in INR.
The API itself has no licence fee and template approval is free, but delivered conversations are billed by Meta and a software platform is needed in practice to use it with a team.
A 24-hour window opened by the first message in a category. All messages exchanged in that window are covered by the single conversation charge.
Utility conversations — order updates, payment and delivery alerts — are priced well below marketing conversations on Meta's India rate card.
18% GST applies to the software fee on Repli invoices in India. How tax appears on Meta's conversation charges depends on your billing setup — check your WhatsApp Manager billing statement.
No. Repli charges a flat monthly plan. Meta's conversation charges are billed to you by Meta directly.
No. You can connect a WhatsApp Business number and start on a paid plan without a separate setup charge.
The calculator is pre-filled with Meta's published India rates as last checked on 15 September 2026, with a link to the source. Meta revises rates periodically, so the fields are editable.
No. Repli plans are not priced per inbox seat. Additional customer support agents on Pro+ are charged separately at the rate shown on the pricing page.
Yes. The free plan lets you try automation with daily message credits and one active automation; a WhatsApp number is included from Pro.
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