WhatsApp changes its rules on October 1: we've got you covered

Meta, the company that owns WhatsApp, has updated the rules and pricing for WhatsApp Business. The change applies to every business in the world that uses WhatsApp Business, with any provider: it isn't WeSpeak's decision, and it's not something that can be avoided. What we can do is get you ready and support you along the way: we explain it in detail in the client presentation, and here are the essentials.

What changes

Until now, the replies your assistant or your team send within 24 hours of the guest's last message (known as "service messages") were free. Starting October 1, 2026, Meta charges for them per message, based on the guest's country. Utility templates you send within that same window, such as a confirmation or a reminder, will be charged as well.

Meta bills this directly to your WhatsApp Business account, in your currency. WeSpeak doesn't add any markup or fee, and your plan with us doesn't change.

What stays free

• Everything guests send you, no exceptions.
• The first 1,000 messages each month, per number. They don't roll over from one month to the next, and if you have several numbers, each one gets its own allowance.
• Conversations that come from your Meta ads or from the WhatsApp button on your Facebook Page: everything you send is free for 72 hours.

Templates that start conversations, such as campaigns or reminders outside the 24-hour window, are still charged as before, at each country's current rate.

How much it may cost you

The impact is limited, and you can calculate it. Depending on the guest's country, each message costs between USD 0.0008 (Colombia) and USD 0.03 (Peru). For reference, a hotel with 1,000 conversations a month, guests from Colombia and 40% of those conversations coming from ads would pay Meta around USD 2 a month.

To work out your own case, use the WhatsApp cost calculator: you choose which countries your guests write from and your conversation volume, and in two minutes it shows you the approximate Meta cost.

What we're doing at WeSpeak

• Fewer messages, same quality: with Reduced response mode, your assistant merges into one or two messages what used to go out as several.
• WhatsApp cost calculator: so you know how much it will cost you before the first invoice arrives.
• Conversion Pixel: every booking closed in your booking engine is attributed to the conversation that generated it.
• Chat Web: the same assistant on your hotel's website, with no per-message cost.
• WeSpeak Voice: the phone as one more channel to serve guests and close bookings.

And remember, the change only affects WhatsApp: Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok have no per-message cost, and WeSpeak handles them all from the same panel.

The only thing you need to do

Have a payment method set up in Meta. If your WhatsApp Business account doesn't have one, Meta stops delivering service messages once the month's free allowance runs out, and your assistant and your team can't reply on WhatsApp until you add one. When you add it, you choose the currency Meta charges you in: choose carefully, because it can't be changed afterwards. We explain how to do it in the guide to adding your payment method in Meta.

Next steps

Already a WeSpeak customer? Go through the full presentation, calculate your cost with the WhatsApp calculator and, if you have questions, write to your advisor: we'll walk you through it step by step. You'll find all the details in the WhatsApp costs (Meta) guide.

View the presentation

Not using WeSpeak yet? If you're figuring out how to sell on WhatsApp under Meta's new rules, WeSpeak helps you do it with fewer messages and more channels. Talk to our team and get to know WeSpeak.

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