WhatsApp Business API Pricing in India (2026)

WhatsApp pricing in India is notoriously confusing. Every BSP quotes slightly different numbers, Meta changes rates quarterly, and "conversation-based" billing doesn't map cleanly to per-message. Here are the actual 2026 numbers.

Step 1: Meta's base price

Meta bills per conversation, not per message. A conversation is a 24-hour window of back-and-forth between your business and one customer. There are four conversation categories:

Step 2: BSP markup

A Business Solution Provider (BSP) resells Meta's API with a markup — typically 5–15%. In return you get a dashboard, template management, chat inbox, and analytics. You can also skip them and go direct to Meta.

Step 3: Worked example

Say your Shopify store processes 1,000 orders/month. You send:

• 1,000 order confirmations (utility) — ₹160/month Meta direct, ~₹210 with a BSP.
• 1,000 shipping updates (utility) — another ₹160–₹210/month.
• 500 abandoned-cart recovery (marketing) — ₹410 Meta direct, ~₹440 with a BSP.
• 2,000 OTP (auth) if you use WhatsApp OTPs — ₹260 Meta direct.

Total: ₹990 / month direct, or ₹1,250–₹4,500 / month via a BSP (depending on platform fee). Plus Shopify app cost, which for Alintro is free up to 100 msgs.

Direct Meta vs BSP — which to pick

• Direct Meta via Alintro — cheapest, no monthly platform fee. You handle template registration in the Meta Business Manager. Setup guide →
• BSP (Gupshup / AiSensy / Interakt) — pay ~10% more per conversation + a monthly fee, in return get a nicer template UI, a shared inbox for your team, and chatbot flows.

Alintro supports both paths. You can start on direct Meta and add a BSP later, or vice versa — your Shopify setup doesn't change.