In this article 9 sections
If your business sends WhatsApp messages through the WhatsApp Business API, there is a date to put in your calendar: 31 December 2026. That is Meta's deadline for eligible Indian businesses to move their WhatsApp Business Account to billing in Indian rupees (INR).
Miss it, and Meta says message delivery can be disrupted from 1 January 2027. Here is what that means and what to do.
What changed
Until recently, many Indian businesses were billed for WhatsApp messages in a foreign currency, usually US dollars, with charges converted by their bank or card.
Meta introduced local-currency billing for India from 1 January 2026. Eligible businesses can now be billed in INR, and they are required to migrate their WhatsApp Business Account to INR billing by 31 December 2026.
Who is affected
This applies to businesses that pay Meta for WhatsApp Business API messages and are eligible for INR billing in India. If your WhatsApp Business Account is billed to an Indian business, check it now rather than assume.
It does not matter which WhatsApp platform you use. The billing relationship for messages is between you and Meta, not between you and your software provider.
Why your platform cannot do it for you
Your WhatsApp Business Account lives in your own Meta Business Manager (Business Portfolio). Billing settings, payment methods and currency belong to that account.
Your WhatsApp platform — ONPAD or any other — uses the account to send and receive messages, but it does not control your billing with Meta, and it is not told whether you have migrated. Only an admin of your Business Manager can make the change.
How to check your account
- Log in to Meta Business Manager with an account that is an admin of your business.
- Open the settings for your WhatsApp Business Account.
- Go to the billing / payment settings.
- Look at the currency and whether Meta shows a notice about INR billing migration.
- Follow Meta's on-screen steps to migrate, and make sure a valid payment method is attached.
Meta's screens change from time to time, so if the menu names differ, look for the payment or billing settings of the WhatsApp Business Account specifically — not your ad account.
What to prepare
- Admin access to Meta Business Manager. Many businesses discover that only a former employee or an agency had admin rights. Sort this out first.
- Your business details as registered, including GST details if Meta asks for them.
- A payment method that works for INR billing.
What happens if you do nothing
According to Meta, accounts that have not migrated by the deadline may see message delivery disrupted from 1 January 2027. For a business that sends order updates, appointment reminders or OTPs on WhatsApp, that is a serious risk at the busiest time of year for many.
Remember too that an active software subscription does not keep messages flowing if Meta cannot bill you. If Meta has no valid payment method, messages fail regardless of which platform you use.
How this fits with the rest of WhatsApp pricing
INR billing changes the currency, not how messages are priced. Meta still charges per message, by template category, with free replies inside the 24-hour customer service window. For the full picture, read WhatsApp Business API pricing in India and the 24-hour window, explained.
A quick checklist
- Do you know who has admin access to your Meta Business Manager?
- Have you opened your WhatsApp Business Account's billing settings?
- Is the account migrated to INR, or is a migration notice showing?
- Is a valid payment method attached?
- Have you set a reminder well before 31 December 2026?
Using ONPAD?
Your WhatsApp Business Account stays in your own Business Manager when you connect it to ONPAD, so the migration is done there, by you. ONPAD's documentation explains Meta's charges in what it costs, and you can compare ONPAD's plans — our subscription is separate from Meta's message charges and has no markup on them.
Written by the ONPAD TeamWe build ONPAD, WhatsApp marketing software on the official WhatsApp Business API, from Mumbai.