Pricing & Costs
What Zernio and Meta each charge for WhatsApp
Pricing & Costs
WhatsApp has two separate billing components: Zernio platform fees and Meta messaging fees.
What Zernio charges
All WhatsApp features (broadcasts, sequences, DM conversations) are included with the Usage plan. The Usage plan has no post limits or profile limits.
Two WhatsApp items are billed separately on top of the plan:
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Dedicated number | From $2/mo per active number, which we provision for you. US is $2/mo; other countries are priced per country (typically $2 to $25/mo) and shown before purchase. Billed per number per active day. |
| Calling, inbound | Free |
| Calling, outbound | Carrier connection billed by Zernio at cost; Meta's per-minute rate is billed by Meta directly to your WABA (varies by country; ~$0.015/min in the US) |
Calling involves two separate bills. Meta charges its per-minute outbound rate (varies by destination country) directly to your WhatsApp Business Account, the same way it bills template messages. Zernio bills only the carrier connection, plus an optional recording surcharge, at cost with zero markup. Inbound calls are always free. See Calling for setup.
What Meta charges
Meta charges per delivered template message and per minute of outbound calling. These fees are billed directly to your WhatsApp Business Account, not through Zernio.
| Message type | Cost |
|---|---|
| Template messages (marketing, utility, authentication) | Charged per delivery (varies by category + recipient country) |
| Non-template messages (within 24h customer service window) | Free |
| Utility templates sent within customer service window | Free |
Rates depend on the template category and the recipient's country code. See Meta's pricing page and rate cards by country for current rates.
You must set up a payment method in your WhatsApp Business Account through Meta Business Suite. Without a valid payment method, Meta will block template message delivery once your free tier is exhausted.
How billing works
Zernio and Meta bill separately. Your Zernio subscription covers platform access (API, broadcasts, contacts, templates, inbox). Meta bills your credit card directly through your WABA for message delivery fees. Zernio does not charge or mark up Meta's messaging fees.
Sandbox vs production numbers
Sandbox number - When you first connect via Embedded Signup, you can test with Meta's sandbox. Sandbox numbers have limited sending (up to 250 unique contacts/day) and messages are tagged as test.
Dedicated number - A production number purchased through Zernio, available on all plans. US numbers are pre-verified and provisioned instantly; numbers in other countries are priced per country and, where the country regulates them, require a one-time KYC form (and sometimes an end-user ID check) before activation. The first number purchase requires a small deposit via Stripe that goes toward your account credits.
Bring your own number - Connect via Headless Credentials using your existing Meta System User token and phone number.