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. The authoritative rate tables (message rates and Meta's per-minute outbound calling rates by country) live on WhatsApp Rates; this page covers the platform mechanics.
What Zernio charges
All WhatsApp features (broadcasts, sequences, DM conversations) are available on the Usage plan, with no post limits or profile limits. Messages you send, counting one per broadcast recipient, meter after the first 10,000 each month: Outbound messages.
Two WhatsApp items are billed separately on top of the plan:
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Dedicated number | From $3/mo per active number, which we provision for you. US is $3/mo; other countries are priced per country and number type ($3 to $30/mo) and shown before purchase. Billed per number as a flat monthly price, charged at activation and on the 1st of each month. |
| Calling, inbound | Free |
| Calling, outbound | Carrier connection metered per minute by Zernio, plus an optional recording surcharge ($0.004/minute). Meta's own per-minute rate is billed by Meta directly to your WABA and varies by country — see Meta's outbound rate by country. Not available in every country (Meta blocks business-initiated calls in some, including the US). |
See Calling for setup.
What Meta charges
Meta charges per delivered template message and per minute of outbound calling, billed directly to your WhatsApp Business Account, not through Zernio. Zernio does not charge or mark up Meta's fees. Non-template messages within the 24-hour customer service window carry no Meta fee, as do utility templates sent inside it (they still count as outbound messages); template delivery rates vary by category and recipient country. See WhatsApp Rates and Meta's rate cards.
Meta needs a valid payment method on your WhatsApp Business Account (Meta Business Suite); without one, Meta blocks template delivery once your free tier is exhausted.
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.