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Pricing

WhatsApp message pricing for Yazi, including free windows, charged templates, and key market rates.

Meta charges on a per-delivered-message basis for WhatsApp template messages. These are the underlying costs Yazi pays to Meta when messages go out to participants.

This page shows what is free, what is charged, and the current rate card by market.

At a glance

  • Meta only charges for delivered template messages

  • Service messages inside the 24-hour customer service window are free

  • Utility templates inside that same 24-hour window are also free

  • Pricing depends on the recipient's country calling code

  • Pricing also depends on the message category

Effective date: These rates are effective from January 1, 2026. Meta can update pricing on the first day of each quarter: Jan 1, Apr 1, Jul 1, Oct 1. Source: Meta WhatsApp Pricing Documentation

ZAR values are approximate. USD is the definitive Meta pricing currency. ZAR conversions here use roughly R18.00/USD.

How Meta decides the charge

1

1. Match the market

Meta looks at the recipient's country calling code.

2

2. Match the message category

The message is priced as marketing, utility, authentication, or service.

3

3. Check whether a free window applies

Some messages are free if they fall inside the 24-hour customer service window or a 72-hour free entry point window.

4

4. Charge only if the message is delivered

If a template message does not deliver, Meta does not charge for it.

Message categories

Promotional messages, offers, announcements, and anything designed to drive awareness or sales.

This is usually the most expensive category.

Transactional messages such as confirmations, updates, reminders, and account notices.

These are usually cheaper than marketing.

One-time passwords, verification codes, and login confirmation messages.

This is usually priced the same as utility, but some markets have a separate authentication-international rate.

Free-form replies sent inside the 24-hour customer service window.

These are always free.

What's free vs what's charged

Free

  • Service messages inside the 24-hour customer service window

  • Utility templates inside the 24-hour customer service window

  • All messages inside a 72-hour free entry point window

  • Incoming messages from users to businesses

24-hour window: Opens when the user messages the business. It resets every time the user sends a new message.

72-hour free entry point: Opens when the user starts from a click-to-chat ad or Facebook Page button, and the business responds within 24 hours.

Charged

  • Marketing templates — always charged

  • Authentication templates — always charged

  • Utility templates sent outside the 24-hour customer service window

  • Any charged template sent outside a free entry point window

Charges only apply when the message is delivered.

Incoming messages from participants are never charged.

Worked example

1

Business sends a marketing template

This is a charged message.

2

User replies

This opens the 24-hour customer service window.

3

Business sends a free-form reply

This is free.

4

Business sends a utility template inside the 24-hour window

This is also free.

5

The 24-hour window expires

No charge happens here. The free window simply ends.

6

Business sends another utility template

This is now charged at the utility rate.

In this example, the business sent 4 messages, but only 2 were charged.

Rates by market

Key markets for Yazi

These are the markets most relevant to Yazi's operations.

Market
Marketing
Utility
Authentication

South Africa

$0.0379 (~R0.68)

$0.0076 (~R0.14)

$0.0076 (~R0.14)

Nigeria

$0.0516 (~R0.93)

$0.0067 (~R0.12)

$0.0067 (~R0.12)

Rest of Africa

$0.0225 (~R0.41)

$0.0040 (~R0.07)

$0.0040 (~R0.07)

Kenya (Rest of Africa)

$0.0225 (~R0.41)

$0.0040 (~R0.07)

$0.0040 (~R0.07)

India

$0.0118 (~R0.21)

$0.0014 (~R0.03)

$0.0014 (~R0.03)

Brazil

$0.0625 (~R1.13)

$0.0068 (~R0.12)

$0.0068 (~R0.12)

United Kingdom

$0.0529 (~R0.95)

$0.0220 (~R0.40)

$0.0220 (~R0.40)

United States (North America)

$0.0250 (~R0.45)

$0.0034 (~R0.06)

$0.0034 (~R0.06)

Full rate card — all markets
Market
Marketing (USD)
Marketing (GBP)
Marketing (ZAR)
Utility (USD)
Utility (GBP)
Utility (ZAR)
Auth (USD)
Auth (GBP)
Auth (ZAR)
Auth-Intl (USD)

Argentina

$0.0618

£0.0445

R1.11

$0.0260

£0.0188

R0.47

$0.0260

£0.0188

R0.47

n/a

Brazil

$0.0625

£0.0451

R1.13

$0.0068

£0.0049

R0.12

$0.0068

£0.0049

R0.12

n/a

Chile

$0.0889

£0.0641

R1.60

$0.0200

£0.0144

R0.36

$0.0200

£0.0144

R0.36

n/a

Colombia

$0.0125

£0.0090

R0.23

$0.0008

£0.0004

R0.01

$0.0008

£0.0004

R0.01

n/a

Egypt

$0.0644

£0.0464

R1.16

$0.0036

£0.0026

R0.06

$0.0036

£0.0026

R0.06

$0.0650

France

$0.0859

£0.0620

R1.55

$0.0300

£0.0216

R0.54

$0.0300

£0.0216

R0.54

n/a

Germany

$0.1365

£0.0985

R2.46

$0.0550

£0.0397

R0.99

$0.0550

£0.0397

R0.99

n/a

India

$0.0118

£0.0086

R0.21

$0.0014

£0.0010

R0.03

$0.0014

£0.0010

R0.03

$0.0280

Indonesia

$0.0411

£0.0297

R0.74

$0.0250

£0.0180

R0.45

$0.0250

£0.0180

R0.45

$0.1360

Israel

$0.0353

£0.0254

R0.64

$0.0053

£0.0038

R0.10

$0.0053

£0.0038

R0.10

n/a

Italy

$0.0691

£0.0498

R1.24

$0.0300

£0.0216

R0.54

$0.0300

£0.0216

R0.54

n/a

Malaysia

$0.0860

£0.0620

R1.55

$0.0140

£0.0101

R0.25

$0.0140

£0.0101

R0.25

$0.0418

Mexico

$0.0305

£0.0221

R0.55

$0.0085

£0.0062

R0.15

$0.0085

£0.0062

R0.15

n/a

Netherlands

$0.1597

£0.1152

R2.87

$0.0500

£0.0361

R0.90

$0.0500

£0.0361

R0.90

n/a

Nigeria

$0.0516

£0.0372

R0.93

$0.0067

£0.0048

R0.12

$0.0067

£0.0048

R0.12

$0.0750

Pakistan

$0.0473

£0.0341

R0.85

$0.0054

£0.0039

R0.10

$0.0054

£0.0039

R0.10

$0.0750

Peru

$0.0703

£0.0507

R1.27

$0.0200

£0.0144

R0.36

$0.0200

£0.0144

R0.36

n/a

Russia

$0.0802

£0.0578

R1.44

$0.0400

£0.0288

R0.72

$0.0400

£0.0288

R0.72

n/a

Saudi Arabia

$0.0455

£0.0327

R0.82

$0.0107

£0.0077

R0.19

$0.0107

£0.0077

R0.19

$0.0598

South Africa

$0.0379

£0.0273

R0.68

$0.0076

£0.0055

R0.14

$0.0076

£0.0055

R0.14

$0.0200

Spain

$0.0615

£0.0443

R1.11

$0.0200

£0.0144

R0.36

$0.0200

£0.0144

R0.36

n/a

Turkey

$0.0109

£0.0078

R0.20

$0.0053

£0.0038

R0.10

$0.0053

£0.0038

R0.10

n/a

United Arab Emirates

$0.0499

£0.0360

R0.90

$0.0157

£0.0113

R0.28

$0.0157

£0.0113

R0.28

$0.0510

United Kingdom

$0.0529

£0.0382

R0.95

$0.0220

£0.0159

R0.40

$0.0220

£0.0159

R0.40

n/a

Regional / catch-all rates

Countries not listed individually fall into one of these regional groupings. The region is determined by the phone number's calling code. See Meta's country calling code mapping.

Region
Marketing
Utility
Authentication

North America

$0.0250 (~R0.45)

$0.0034 (~R0.06)

$0.0034 (~R0.06)

Rest of Africa

$0.0225 (~R0.41)

$0.0040 (~R0.07)

$0.0040 (~R0.07)

Rest of Asia Pacific

$0.0732 (~R1.32)

$0.0113 (~R0.20)

$0.0113 (~R0.20)

Rest of Central & Eastern Europe

$0.0860 (~R1.55)

$0.0212 (~R0.38)

$0.0212 (~R0.38)

Rest of Latin America

$0.0740 (~R1.33)

$0.0113 (~R0.20)

$0.0113 (~R0.20)

Rest of Middle East

$0.0341 (~R0.61)

$0.0091 (~R0.16)

$0.0091 (~R0.16)

Rest of Western Europe

$0.0592 (~R1.07)

$0.0171 (~R0.31)

$0.0171 (~R0.31)

Other

$0.0604 (~R1.09)

$0.0077 (~R0.14)

$0.0077 (~R0.14)

Volume tiers

Meta offers volume discounts on utility and authentication messages. Marketing messages do not get tier discounts.

Tier
Discount on base rate

Tier 1

Base rate

Tier 2

5% off

Tier 3

10% off

Tier 4

15% off

Tier 5

20% off

The thresholds vary by market and category. Discounts apply only to messages inside that tier, not retroactively to earlier volume.

Authentication-international rates

Some markets have a separate, higher rate for authentication messages sent to users with international phone numbers.

This applies to:

  • Egypt

  • India

  • Indonesia

  • Malaysia

  • Nigeria

  • Pakistan

  • Saudi Arabia

  • South Africa

  • United Arab Emirates

Example: South Africa's standard authentication rate is $0.0076, but its authentication-international rate is $0.0200.

What this means for Yazi

For a typical Yazi research study:

  • A survey invitation to a South African participant, using a marketing template, costs $0.0379 (~R0.68) per delivered message

  • Once the participant replies, follow-up service messages inside the 24-hour window are free

  • A utility reminder sent outside that window costs $0.0076 (~R0.14) in South Africa

  • Most African markets outside South Africa and Nigeria fall under Rest of Africa at $0.0225 (~R0.41) for marketing

The cheapest markets for Yazi are typically Rest of Africa for marketing and India / Colombia for utility. Some of the highest rates are in European markets such as Germany and Netherlands.

If participants reply quickly, you can move more follow-up communication into the free service window.

Key takeaways

  • You only pay for template messages that are delivered

  • Service messages inside 24 hours are always free

  • Utility templates inside 24 hours are free

  • Marketing is usually the most expensive category

  • Rates vary widely by country

  • Utility and authentication can get up to 20% volume discount

References

Last updated: March 2026. ZAR conversion at ~R18.00/USD.

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