> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.askyazi.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.askyazi.com/set-up-whatsapp/add-a-payment-method-in-meta.md).

# Add a payment method in Meta

Add a payment method in Meta Business Manager so your own WhatsApp number can keep sending messages, including the October 2026 change.

When you use your own WhatsApp number, Meta charges for the messages it sends. Meta needs a payment method on your WhatsApp Business Account before it will deliver paid messages. This is set up in Meta Business Manager, not in Yazi.

{% hint style="info" %}
**In short:** add a card to your WhatsApp Business Account in Meta Business Manager as soon as your number is connected. Since **1 October 2026**, Meta also charges for messages sent inside the 24-hour window above a monthly free allowance, and stops delivering them once you pass that allowance without a payment method. Meta's charges are separate from Yazi's platform fee.
{% endhint %}

{% hint style="warning" %}
**Without a payment method, messages stop.** Invites and reminders fail, and participants part-way through a study can stop receiving questions. Check this before any launch.
{% endhint %}

## Before you start

* You need permission to manage payments in your company's Meta Business Manager. If you have full control but cannot see the payment settings, give yourself finance permissions first (see step 2).
* Use a card that accepts international payments. Meta bills from outside most countries, and some local cards are declined.
* This page applies to **your own number**. If you use Yazi's shared number, Meta bills Yazi, not you, the cost is included in Yazi's pricing, and you do not need a payment method in Meta. See [Plans, billing and usage](/start-here/plans-billing-and-usage.md#whatsapp-message-costs-are-separate) for how message costs reach you.

## The October 2026 change

From **1 October 2026**, Meta changed how it charges for WhatsApp business messages:

* **Template messages** (invites, reminders and other broadcasts) are charged per delivered message, as before.
* **Service messages**, the free-form replies sent inside the 24-hour window after a participant messages you, used to be free. They are now free only for the first 1,000 each month. Above that, Meta charges for them.
* **If there is no payment method**, Meta stops delivering messages once you go past the free allowance in a month.

For a typical study the extra cost per participant is small, but it means every number used for real fieldwork needs a working payment method. See [WhatsApp costs and the 24-hour window](/reach-participants/whatsapp-costs-and-the-24-hour-window.md) and Meta's [WhatsApp pricing page](https://developers.facebook.com/documentation/business-messaging/whatsapp/pricing) for current rates.

## Add the payment method

{% stepper %}
{% step %}

### Open your WhatsApp account settings

In [Meta Business Manager](https://business.facebook.com/settings), find the WhatsApp Business Account that Yazi uses (it is listed with your business's WhatsApp accounts) and open its payment settings.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

### Give yourself finance permission if needed

If you cannot add a card, update the finance permissions on the account to include yourself, then return to payment settings.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

### Add a payment method to the business

Add a card as a payment method for your business.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

### Attach it to the WhatsApp account

Make sure the payment method is assigned to the WhatsApp Business Account itself, not only to the business. Meta shows the account's payment status once it is attached.
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}

## Paying through Yazi instead

If your finance team prefers one invoice, Yazi can pay Meta for your messages and pass the cost through on your Yazi invoice. Ask your Yazi contact to set this up. Either way, Meta costs are separate from Yazi's platform fee, and reclassifying a template from marketing to utility is done in Meta, not in Yazi.

## Limits and things to know

* **Meta charges per delivered template**, not per question. A longer questionnaire costs almost nothing extra in Meta charges; more invites and reminders do.
* **Marketing templates cost several times more than utility templates.** Invites that mention an incentive are usually classed as marketing.
* **Yazi shows an estimate** of Meta's charges when you publish or update a study.
* **Declined cards stop sending.** If your bank declines Meta's charge, your number may be billing-blocked. Yazi shows a banner at the top of the app when this happens.
* **Meta changes its prices from time to time.** Always check Meta's pricing page for current rates.

## Related

* [WhatsApp costs and the 24-hour window](/reach-participants/whatsapp-costs-and-the-24-hour-window.md)
* [Plans, billing and usage](/start-here/plans-billing-and-usage.md)
* [Connect your own number](/set-up-whatsapp/connect-your-own-number.md)
* [Number health and limits](/set-up-whatsapp/number-health-and-limits.md)