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The official WhatsApp channel (WABA) is paid, and the party that charges for messages is Meta, not Zapster. These are two separate things: your instance subscription with Zapster on one side, and what Meta charges for sending messages on the other. Meta’s charge is billed through the WhatsApp Business account tied to your number. This billing applies only to the official channel (WABA). Unofficial instances (QR code) are not subject to this Meta charge. If you are still deciding between the two types, see the comparison in WABA vs unofficial.

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The two message groups

On the official channel, what Meta charges depends on the type of message you send:
  • Free (service) messages: text, media, or buttons sent in reply to a customer, within the 24-hour conversation window. By Meta’s definition, it is any message that is not a template.
  • Templates: messages approved by Meta, used to start a conversation or to send outside the 24-hour window. Each template category (marketing, utility, and authentication) has its own charge, which varies by the recipient’s country. Check the Meta pricing table for the per-category rates.
The rest of this page focuses on free (service) messages, which are the ones changing the most in 2026.

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What a “service message” is

It is any free message (text, media, or buttons) that you send in reply to a customer, within the 24-hour window. By Meta’s definition, it is any message that is not a template. Until now they have been free, as they have been since November 2024.

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What changes in 2026 and when

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How much it will cost

Meta has not published the rates yet. According to the documentation, the prices taking effect on October 1, 2026 will be announced by September 1, 2026. The price of a service message will follow the price already used for utility and authentication messages, which varies by the customer’s country. Meta has stated that there will be no volume discount for service messages.

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What stays the same

  • The 24-hour window rule does not change: free messages only go out with the window open. What changes is that they stop being free.
  • Templates were already paid and continue with their own charge.
  • This billing applies only to the official channel (WABA). Unofficial instances (QR code) are not subject to this Meta charge.

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Summary

Today, replying to a customer within the 24-hour window costs nothing. Starting October 1, 2026, each of those replies carries a cost charged by Meta. If you send a lot of support messages, it is worth following the pricing announcement in September 2026 and factoring this cost into your planning now.
Source: WhatsApp Business Platform: Non-Template Messages Pricing, Meta’s official documentation. Dates and rates are set by Meta and may change.