Beginning October 1, AI conversations on WhatsApp powered by third-party models could cost businesses nearly twice as much as those handled by Meta AI. The platform currently does not charge any fee for use of AI agents. A sample calculator, based on WhatsApp’s updated developer documentation published on July 1, showed that complex interactions powered by other bots could cost businesses up to $968 for 10,000 messages, depending on token usage, while using Meta AI would cost $400-500.

Meta's shift to token-based pricing signals a new phase in enterprise messaging, with businesses paying for AI usage instead of message volume.

Beginning October 1, AI conversations on WhatsApp powered by third-party models could cost businesses nearly twice as much as those handled by Meta AI. The platform currently does…