Are WhatsApp Business Broadcasts Free? Pricing and Charges Explained

WhatsApp Business has two kinds of broadcast, and only one is free. Broadcast lists are free and only reach people who saved your number. WhatsApp’s help article says people in some countries can send up to 35 free broadcast messages a month; it doesn’t say whether the same limit applies in the Business app, so check Settings › Broadcasts. Business broadcasts, the newer feature under Tools in the Business app, are paid: you’re charged for each message delivered, at a rate set by the recipient’s country.

This guide explains both, how WhatsApp bills business broadcasts (postpaid, prepaid funds and message packs), what a message costs in a few markets according to WhatsApp’s own rate card, the rules that can suspend your broadcasts, and when the WhatsApp Business API is the better deal.

Free or paid: the short answer

People use “WhatsApp Business broadcast” for three different things. Here’s what each costs and who it reaches:

So when people search “WhatsApp Business broadcast not free anymore”, they usually mean one of two changes: the monthly cap on free broadcast-list messages, or the switch to paid business broadcasts for reaching people beyond a list. Both are rolling out country by country, so what you see depends on where you are.

Broadcast lists: free, with a monthly cap in some countries

A broadcast list sends the same message to up to 256 contacts, and each person gets it as a normal one-to-one chat. You can make as many lists as you like. Two catches have always applied: only people who saved your number receive it, and lists work on Android and iPhone, not on WhatsApp Web, Windows or Mac.

WhatsApp’s Help Center now adds a third: its help article says people in some countries can send up to 35 free broadcast messages a month. It doesn’t say whether the same limit applies in the Business app, and the limit is rolling out gradually, so you may not have it yet. To check, open Settings and tap Broadcasts; WhatsApp also warns you when you’re close to the limit. For reaching many people for free, WhatsApp points to Status updates and Channels instead.

More on list size and why broadcasts fail in WhatsApp broadcast limits.

Business broadcasts: how the charges work

Business broadcasts (called “marketing messages” in some countries) let you message customers who haven’t saved your number, with a picture, video or document and an optional button. WhatsApp bills them like this:

• You pay per delivered message. A message counts only if it’s delivered to a recipient you chose within five days of sending. Broadcasts not delivered within five days are refunded.
• The price depends on the recipient’s country code, so a list with customers in several countries has several rates.
• You see the cost first. Before checkout the app shows the total cost, estimated tax and estimated total.
• Postpaid: charges add up as messages are delivered, and your payment method is charged when the balance passes a set amount or on your billing date.
• Prepaid funds: you need enough funds to cover the broadcast. Funds equal to every contact you selected are reserved, money is taken daily as messages are delivered, and the amount for undelivered messages is credited back for future use.

Message packs

Some accounts can also buy message packs under Tools › Business broadcasts › Message credits. You pre-pay for a set number of messages, one credit is used for each recipient who gets the message, and the credits don’t expire. WhatsApp says packs are rolling out gradually, are iOS-only for now, and that packs and broadcasts can’t be refunded, subject to applicable law. Pack prices appear only in the app.

Free messages and Meta Verified

WhatsApp’s help pages mention “free messages” for business broadcasts: once they’re used up, you need a payment method and funds to send more. The pages we checked don’t say how many free messages you get, so look in the app rather than trusting a figure you read elsewhere. WhatsApp also says some businesses get extra broadcasts through their Meta Verified subscription, as a trial that may not be available to you.

What a business broadcast costs per message

WhatsApp’s payments article for business broadcasts links rate cards in 16 currencies: AED, ARS, AUD, BRL, CLP, COP, EUR, GBP, IDR, INR, MXN, MYR, PEN, SAR, SGD and USD. Other currencies are converted from USD. The INR card is titled as the cost per message on the WhatsApp Business Platform, and its marketing column reads:

WhatsApp doesn’t say which column applies. Business broadcasts are promotional, so the marketing column is the likely rate, and the app shows the exact price before you send. Rates change, so open the card for your currency from WhatsApp’s payments article before you budget, and see WhatsApp API pricing by country for every market.

A worked example (made-up example numbers)

You pick 500 customers in India. Prepaid funds for 500 messages are reserved. 480 messages are delivered within five days and 20 aren’t. At the marketing rate you’d pay 480 × ₹0.8631 = ₹414.29 plus tax, and the reserve for the 20 undelivered messages goes back to your funds.

The rules that can cost you your broadcasts

Paying for a broadcast doesn’t buy permission to send it. Every business broadcast is reviewed by Meta before it’s delivered, and WhatsApp watches spam reports. WhatsApp’s advice for avoiding restrictions:

• Send only to people who opted in to hear from you.
• Give clear instructions for opting out, and act on them. WhatsApp’s Business Messaging Policy requires you to honour every request to opt out, on or off WhatsApp.
• Remove contacts who haven’t interacted with you recently.
• Match what people signed up for: send the kind of messages they agreed to.

If many people block or report you, WhatsApp warns you first. Keep sending spam and your broadcasts are suspended for three days; suspensions can’t be appealed and end on their own, and repeat restrictions can last longer. A scheduled broadcast that can’t go out because of a suspension isn’t charged. What to do if it happens: WhatsApp Business restricted.

Business broadcasts or the WhatsApp Business API?

Both charge per delivered message, and Meta’s rate for a marketing message to India is ₹0.8631. Providers on the API set their own per-message prices, which can include a margin: Automate AI charges ₹0.99 for that message, including Meta’s fee. So compare the total, and what you get around each message:

Business broadcasts suit a small business that runs everything from one phone and sends a few promotions a month. Once you need more than one person on replies, automatic messages such as order updates, or campaigns every week, the API is the better fit. The trade-offs are in WhatsApp Business app limitations.

With Automate AI you pay a plan (from ₹5,499 for 3 months) plus messages from your wallet, billed in INR. A marketing message to an Indian number is ₹0.99 including Meta’s fee (₹0.95 on Series 4), with unlimited campaigns, contacts and users. Full details on the pricing page and in WhatsApp marketing.

How to spend less on broadcasts

1. Use what’s free first. Post announcements to Status or a Channel, and keep broadcast lists for loyal customers who saved your number.
2. Send to fewer, better people. Customers who bought or replied recently are more likely to read, and less likely to report you.
3. Check the country mix. A message to the UK costs several times one to India on the rate card above, so price international lists separately.
4. Remove numbers that never get delivered. You aren’t charged for them, but on prepaid funds they tie up money until it’s credited back.
5. Make one message do the job. A clear offer and one button beat two half-clear broadcasts.
6. Move to the API when volume grows, so you can schedule, automate and share replies across a team. See is the WhatsApp API free? for what’s free there.

For the step-by-step on sending each kind of broadcast, see how to send a broadcast message on WhatsApp Business.