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
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.
Incoming messages from participants are never charged.
Worked example
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.
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
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.
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 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.
Last updated