# New pricing policy for AI Providers leveraging the WhatsApp Business Platform
**Warning:** This page is specific to "AI Providers" using the WhatsApp Business Platform. This does NOT change how Meta charges all other businesses using the WhatsApp Business Platform. Refer to the [pricing page](https://developers.facebook.com/documentation/business-messaging/whatsapp/pricing).
### Who this applies to
This is specific to "AI Providers" using the WhatsApp Business Platform, as defined in our [Terms of Service](https://www.whatsapp.com/legal/business-solution-terms/) updated on January 15, 2026: Providers and developers of artificial intelligence or machine learning technologies, such as large language models, generative artificial intelligence platforms, general-purpose artificial intelligence assistants, or similar technologies who provide certain services on WhatsApp Business Platform.
This does **NOT** change how or what Meta charges all other businesses using the WhatsApp Business Platform. Meta will continue to charge these businesses as outlined in the [pricing explainer](https://developers.facebook.com/documentation/business-messaging/whatsapp/pricing#cloud-api-and-marketing-messages-api-for-whatsapp). This includes *not* being charged for non-template messages sent in an open customer service window. This also does not change the mechanics of the [customer service window](https://developers.facebook.com/documentation/business-messaging/whatsapp/messages/send-messages#customer-service-windows).
### Why Meta is charging
*Specifically for third-party AI Providers:*
* Effective January 15, 2026, WhatsApp's [Terms of Service update](https://www.whatsapp.com/legal/business-solution-terms/) "AI Providers" are only permitted to offer general-purpose AI assistants on the WhatsApp Business Platform where Meta is legally required to permit this use case.
* Effective February 16, 2026, in countries where Meta is legally required to support AI Providers' usage of the WhatsApp Business Platform, Meta will charge AI Providers for non-template messages sent to WhatsApp users in these countries.
### What and where Meta will charge
**Warning:** Effective May 13, 2026 as of 12 AM local WABA timezone, Meta will **no longer** charge "AI Providers" for non-template messages delivered to users in certain markets, per below.
*Effective February 16, 2026* – Meta will charge for:
* Each non-template message (`"type":"text", "type":"image"`, and so on)
* Delivered from an "AI Provider"
* To a user in a market where Meta is legally required to permit AI Providers to use the WhatsApp Business Platform
Markets and effective dates (updated as of May 12, 2026):
Effective **March 11, 2026**, this applies to Brazil (+55).
Effective **March 11, 2026 until May 12, 2026**, this applied to the following countries:
- Austria (+43)
- Belgium (+32)
- Bulgaria (+359)
- Croatia (+385)
- Cyprus (+357)
- Czech Republic (+420)
- Denmark (+45)
- Estonia (+372)
- Finland (+358)
- France (+33)
- Germany (+49)
- Greece (+30)
- Hungary (+36)
- Iceland (+354)
- Ireland (+353)
- Latvia (+371)
- Liechtenstein (+423)
- Lithuania (+370)
- Luxembourg (+352)
- Malta (+356)
- Netherlands (+31)
- Norway (+47)
- Poland (+48)
- Portugal (+351)
- Romania (+40)
- Slovakia (+421)
- Slovenia (+386)
- Spain (+34)
- Sweden (+46)
Effective **February 16, 2026 until May 12, 2026**, this applied to Italy (+39).
For example: If a user in Italy sends an AI Provider a prompt, and the AI Provider delivers three non-template message responses to the user over a span of 5 minutes, that will incur three charges.
### Rates
| Rates (CSV) | Rates (PDF) |
| --- | --- |
| AI Provider rates for non-template messages CSV (updated May 12, 2026) | AI Provider rates for non-template messages PDF (updated May 12, 2026) |
**Warning:** *These rates are specific to AI Providers using the WhatsApp Business Platform. To see rates for marketing, utility, and authentication messages, please refer to [Pricing on the WhatsApp Business Platform](https://developers.facebook.com/documentation/business-messaging/whatsapp/pricing).*
#### Rates effective July 1, 2026
Below represents future updates to AI Provider rates. See the rate cards above for current rates.
| Rates (CSV) | Rates (PDF) |
| --- | --- |
| AI Provider rates for non-template messages CSV | AI Provider rates for non-template messages PDF |
### Analytics
The Pricing Analytics API will include a new `<PRICING_CATEGORY>` value of `AI_BOT` to reflect AI Provider traffic.
```
{
"start": <START_TIMESTAMP>,
"end": <END_TIMESTAMP>,
"phone_number": "<BUSINESS_PHONE_NUMBER>",
"country": "<COUNTRY_CODE>",
"pricing_type": "REGULAR",
"pricing_category": "AI_BOT",
"volume": <VOLUME>,
"cost": <COST>
}
```
### Webhooks
The [webhooks](https://developers.facebook.com/documentation/business-messaging/whatsapp/pricing#webhooks) will reflect the `<PRICING_CATEGORY>` for these non-template messages from "AI Providers" as `general_purpose_ai`.
Billable messages have `type` set to `regular` in the pricing object of status [messages](https://developers.facebook.com/documentation/business-messaging/whatsapp/webhooks/reference/messages/status) webhooks:
```
"pricing": {
"billable": true,
"pricing_model": "PMP",
"type": "regular",
"category": "general_purpose_ai"
}
```