Meta is going to introduce a new pricing structure for its WhatsApp Business platform. According to the company, the new pricing model will take effect from August 1, 2026, moving away from per-message charges to a token-based system for companies using its business AI agents.
Under this system, businesses using Meta business agents will no longer pay a flat fee for each message sent. Instead, charges will be based on the data and computing resources consumed by artificial intelligence while processing customer queries and requests.
From October 1, 2026, fees will be reinstated on certain categories of business messages, as these charges had been temporarily waived nearly two years ago.
The shift means that businesses relying heavily on AI-powered customer interactions may see costs vary depending on the complexity of queries handled, rather than paying a uniform rate per message as before.
What the AI agent does: The Meta Business Agent can answer customer queries that may include recommending products, booking appointments, , capturing and qualifying leads, offering round-the-clock support, driving sales, and transferring chats to a human agent when required.
Meta said smaller businesses will get access to the agent through select tiers of its WhatsApp Business Premium subscription, while larger businesses will be billed based on token usage.
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