Banks, fintech companies, telecom operators and other businesses using WhatsApp to communicate with customers in Nigeria may begin paying per-message charges from October 1, 2026, under a new pricing arrangement by Meta, the parent company of WhatsApp.
The new charge is expected to cost businesses using the WhatsApp Business Platform about ₦14 for messages sent to Nigerian numbers.
The development is expected to affect companies that rely heavily on WhatsApp for customer service and business communication, including banks, financial technology firms, telecommunications companies, retailers and e-commerce platforms.
Such businesses commonly use the platform to send transaction alerts, respond to customer enquiries, confirm orders and promote products and services.
However, ordinary WhatsApp users will not be affected by the new pricing structure. Individuals will continue to use the messaging application without being charged on a per-message basis.
The new pricing arrangement applies specifically to businesses using Meta’s WhatsApp Business Platform, which provides tools for companies to communicate with customers at scale.
Businesses that depend extensively on WhatsApp for customer engagement may therefore need to review their communication strategies and account for the additional messaging costs once the new charges take effect.
The development highlights the growing commercialisation of messaging platforms as technology companies increasingly introduce charges for business-focused communication services while keeping their consumer messaging services accessible to individual users.
