Meta charges per delivered message, by category and by the customer’s country. Enter your monthly mix and see what Meta charges in AED, SAR or USD, before your provider’s fee and tax. Rates are Meta’s list rates effective 1 October 2026.
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Marketing: offers and launches. Utility: confirmations, reminders, updates, now charged inside the 24-hour window too. Replies: your free-form answers inside the 24-hour window; the first 1,000 a month per number are free.
What Meta charges a month
Meta’s list rates effective 1 October 2026, before volume discounts, tax and your provider’s fee. AED rates are Meta’s own published AED rate card.
Quick answer
Updated 30 Oct 2026
From 1 October 2026 Meta charges USD 0.0576 (AED 0.2115) per delivered marketing message to a UAE number, and USD 0.0157 (AED 0.0576) per utility, authentication or service message. Messages customers send you are free, the first 1,000 service replies per number each month are free, and messages in the free window after a click-to-WhatsApp ad are free. Your provider’s fee is on top.
The rate card
| Customer’s country | Marketing | Utility, OTP, service | AED card | SAR card |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Arab Emirates | USD 0.0576 | USD 0.0157 | 0.2115 / 0.0576 | 0.2159 / 0.0588 |
| Saudi Arabia | USD 0.0576 | USD 0.0107 | 0.2115 / 0.0393 | 0.2159 / 0.0401 |
| Qatar | USD 0.0341 | USD 0.0120 | 0.1252 / 0.0440 | 0.1278 / 0.0450 |
| Oman | USD 0.0341 | USD 0.0247 | 0.1252 / 0.0907 | 0.1278 / 0.0926 |
| Kuwait | USD 0.0792 | USD 0.0440 | 0.2908 / 0.1615 | 0.2969 / 0.1649 |
| Bahrain (Rest of Middle East) | USD 0.0392 | USD 0.0091 | 0.1440 / 0.0334 | 0.1470 / 0.0341 |
Bahrain is billed at Meta’s “Rest of Middle East” rate. Utility and authentication rates drop at higher monthly volumes; marketing never does. Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the UAE also have a higher authentication-international rate for some OTPs. Meta can change rates on the first day of a quarter, with a month’s notice.
The four categories
Marketing
Offers, launches, festival greetings and re-engagement. The highest rate, and the only category Meta never discounts for volume.
Utility
Order confirmations, delivery updates, appointment and payment reminders. Charged inside and outside the 24-hour window since 1 October 2026.
Authentication
One-time passcodes. The same rate as utility in every GCC market; a higher international rate can apply to some OTPs.
Service
Your free-form replies inside the 24-hour window. The first 1,000 a month per number are free; after that, the service rate.
Questions
Is the WhatsApp Business API free?
No. Meta charges for every marketing, utility and authentication message it delivers, and for service replies beyond 1,000 a month per number. Free: everything customers send you, and your messages in the free window that opens when someone reaches you from a click-to-WhatsApp ad (up to 7 days).
Do I pay for messages customers send me?
No. Incoming messages are never charged. Your free-form replies inside the 24-hour window are free up to 1,000 a month per number, then charged at the service rate.
Does the rate depend on where my business is?
No. It depends on the customer’s phone number. A Dubai showroom messaging a Saudi number pays the Saudi rate. The exception is OTPs: in some markets a higher authentication-international rate can apply.
Do rates go down with volume?
Yes, for utility and authentication. Meta lowers the rate once your monthly volume in a market passes its tiers, counted across your business portfolio and reset each month. Marketing has no tiers.
Can I be billed in dirhams or riyals?
Yes. Since 1 April 2026 Meta offers AED and SAR rate cards. You choose the currency when you create your WhatsApp Business account. This calculator uses Meta’s published AED and SAR rates.
Is this everything I will pay?
No. Your provider charges a plan or a per-message fee on top, and tax may apply. This calculator shows Meta’s part only.
Keep reading
Cost
WhatsApp Business API pricing in the GCC (2026): UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar compared
The rates in this calculator with worked examples by industry, and what changed on 1 October 2026.
Read the guide
Read the guide
Bans and safety
How to send bulk WhatsApp messages without getting banned
Cheap sending isn’t cheap if the number gets blocked. How to send at volume and keep your quality rating.
Read the guide
A FlowFlex plan is priced by users and branches, with Meta’s per-message charges billed separately, so you can see both before you start.
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