Meta is introducing a new charge for certain service messages sent by businesses through the WhatsApp Business Platform.
This means that every chargeable message could now come with a small cost attached.
From Thursday, October 1, 2026, businesses in Kenya will pay Ksh0.52 for every delivered service message under the affected category.
At first glance, Ksh0.52 may not seem like much.
But for a small business communicating with hundreds or thousands of customers, the amount can quickly add up.
WhatsApp launches new business messaging charges
For an entrepreneur already budgeting for stock, transport, packaging, rent and other daily expenses, the additional WhatsApp cost could become another expense to consider.
The amount a business spends will depend on the number of chargeable messages it sends. Based on the reported rate of Ksh0.52 per message, a business sending 100 messages could spend approximately Ksh52, while 500 messages could cost about Ksh260.
Sending 1,000 messages would amount to roughly Ksh520, while 5,000 messages could cost around Ksh2,600.
For businesses handling larger volumes, 10,000 messages could cost approximately Ksh5,200, while 50,000 messages could amount to about Ksh26,000.
A business sending 100,000 chargeable messages could spend roughly Ksh52,000.
The charges will apply to businesses using the WhatsApp Business Platform, which is designed for companies managing customer communication at scale.
This does not mean that ordinary Kenyans will start paying to send WhatsApp messages to friends and family.
