Quick answer
- Customer-started calls are free. Business-started calls are charged per minute, in 6-second pulses.
- First-tier rates run from $0.0053 a minute (India) to $0.0242 (Indonesia). They fall as monthly minutes to a country grow.
- AI usually costs more than Meta’s fee. Wapzen’s voice agent is free right now, with no per-minute charge.
What the WhatsApp Calling API charges for
Meta’s rule is simple: calls customers make to you are free, and calls you make are charged by the minute.
| What Meta charges | |
|---|---|
| A customer calls your business | Free |
| Your business calls a customer | Per minute, in 6-second pulses, by the country you call |
| Asking a customer for call permission | A normal per-message charge |
| Call recording and transcription | Free for now; Meta plans separate pricing |
Four rules decide the bill for outbound calls:
- 6-second pulses, rounded up. A 56-second call is 9.33 pulses, billed as 10.
- The called number’s country sets the rate.
- Volume tiers lower the rate as your minutes to that country add up in a calendar month. A call that crosses a tier is priced entirely at the lower rate.
- A payment method is required before you can place calls.
Per-minute rates by country
These are first-tier list rates in US dollars from the card effective 1 October 2026, before tax and provider fees:
| Per minute | |
|---|---|
| India | $0.0053 |
| Netherlands | $0.0063 |
| Mexico | $0.0094 |
| France | $0.0099 |
| United Kingdom | $0.0099 |
| Germany | $0.0103 |
| Nigeria | $0.0103 |
| Brazil | $0.0108 |
| South Africa | $0.0108 |
| Malaysia | $0.0108 |
| Bangladesh | $0.0114 |
| Pakistan | $0.0119 |
| Italy | $0.0121 |
| North America | $0.0121 |
| United Arab Emirates | $0.0127 |
| Saudi Arabia | $0.0127 |
| Spain | $0.0129 |
| Indonesia | $0.0242 |
Meta publishes these rates in downloadable cards. We took them from Zernio’s reprint, so confirm against Meta’s current card before you budget. Meta can change them on 1 January, April, July and October.
WhatsApp calling rates in India
India has the lowest rate listed above. On Meta’s INR card, the rate falls as monthly minutes grow:
| Per minute | |
|---|---|
| Up to 50,000 | ₹0.3885 |
| 50,001 to 250,000 | ₹0.2785 |
| 250,001 to 1,000,000 | ₹0.1759 |
| 1,000,001 to 2,500,000 | ₹0.1319 |
| 2,500,001 to 5,000,000 | ₹0.0880 |
| Over 5,000,000 | ₹0.0586 |
What a month of calls costs
Take 1,000 answered calls of 2 minutes each, so 2,000 minutes, at first-tier rates:
- India: 2,000 × ₹0.3885 = ₹777
- United Kingdom: 2,000 × $0.0099 = $19.80
- Brazil: 2,000 × $0.0108 = $21.60
- Indonesia: 2,000 × $0.0242 = $48.40
Meta’s fee is usually the small part. An AI voice platform costs far more per minute: Bland’s Start plan charges $0.14 a minute, so the same 2,000 minutes would add $280. Permission requests are charged as messages too, and providers may add a plan fee. WATI says it adds no per-call markup to Meta’s rate and draws usage from a prepaid wallet.
Rules that affect what you can call
- Permission first. A customer must grant call permission, and you can send each one 1 request a day and 2 a week.
- Missed calls count. After 4 unanswered calls in a row, the permission is revoked automatically.
- Some numbers can’t call out. Business numbers from the US, Canada, Egypt, Vietnam and Nigeria can’t place calls through the API.
- Cloud API only. The number can’t be on the WhatsApp Business app, and it needs a messaging limit of at least 2,000 customers a day.
Setup steps are in our WhatsApp Business Calling API guide.
A free way to put AI on WhatsApp calls
If what you want is AI on your calls, you may not need the API. Wapzen’s AI voice agent is working and free right now. It answers and makes WhatsApp calls on your existing number, following your instructions and knowledge base, with no per-minute charge.
| Calling API + voice AI | Wapzen | |
|---|---|---|
| Calls customers make to you | Free from Meta; you pay for any voice AI | Free |
| Calls you make | Meta’s per-minute rate, plus any provider or AI cost | Free, no per-minute charge |
| AI voice | Connect and pay for a voice platform | Voice agent included |
| Number | Must be on the Cloud API | Your existing WhatsApp or Business number |
| Setup | Business verification and developer work | No code |
| Official Meta product | Yes | No, it links as a device |
Choose the Calling API if you need Meta’s official platform or run a contact centre. Wapzen is an independent product, not made by Meta or WhatsApp.
Frequently asked questions
How much does the WhatsApp Calling API cost per minute?
On Meta's 1 October 2026 USD card, as reprinted by Zernio, first-tier rates range from about $0.0053 a minute for India to $0.0242 for Indonesia. The UK is $0.0099, Brazil $0.0108 and the UAE $0.0127. Calls customers make to you are free.
How much does a WhatsApp business call cost in India?
₹0.3885 a minute for your first 50,000 minutes in a month, falling to ₹0.0586 above 5 million minutes, before tax, on Meta's INR card effective 1 October 2026. Billing is in 6-second pulses, so a 56-second call counts as 60 seconds.
Are incoming WhatsApp business calls free?
Yes. Meta says all user-initiated calls are free. If an AI answers them, you still pay whoever provides that AI, unless the tool includes it.
Which country's rate applies to a call?
The country code of the number you call, not where your business is. A UK business calling an Indian customer pays India's rate.
Does Meta charge for unanswered calls?
WATI's guide to Meta's pricing says calls are billed only when the customer answers. Check your provider's terms too, since some add their own fees.
Can US businesses call customers through the API?
Not from a US number. Meta doesn't support business-initiated calls from numbers in the United States, Canada, Egypt, Vietnam or Nigeria. Customers can still call those businesses.
Is there a free way to use AI on WhatsApp calls?
Yes. Everything in Wapzen is free right now, including its AI voice agent, which answers and makes WhatsApp calls on your existing number with no per-minute charge. Message our team on WhatsApp and we'll switch it on for your number.