WhatsApp Business API Pricing in UAE: Costs & Best Plans
While the WhatsApp Business App is still free to download, every WhatsApp Business API account has a fee charged per conversation, and the pricing varies depending on the country.
WhatsApp Business API is the most powerful solution for businesses in the UAE looking to scale their customer communication. With features like multi-user access, automation, and CRM integration, the API is designed to enhance efficiency and customer engagement.
But how much does WhatsApp Business API cost in the UAE in 2025? This guide breaks down everything you need to know about WhatsApp API pricing, features, and the best plans for UAE businesses.
Introduction to the official WhatsApp Business API
WhatsApp has become an essential messaging tool in our daily lives, and if your UAE business is not taking advantage of this, you may be losing out on certain benefits that can bring your brand to the next level.
Besides the personal WhatsApp we use for messaging, WhatsApp offers two business-focused solutions: the WhatsApp Business App and the WhatsApp Business API (also known as the WhatsApp Business Platform).
Let's take a look at a simple comparison below.
The WhatsApp Business API unlocks powerful features that help businesses streamline messaging and drive sales. In contrast, the WhatsApp Business App is a simpler solution, best suited for small to medium-sized businesses with limited needs.
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Example: Emirates Airlines uses WhatsApp Business API for customer service
Emirates Airlines leverages its official WhatsApp Business account to enhance customer interactions. Beyond the green tick verification on its profile, the airline uses automated responses to instantly address FAQs—anytime, anywhere. This allows their team to focus more on complex issues and manage frustrated or impatient customers more effectively.
The benefits of using WhatsApp Business API can be summarized below:
a verified WhatsApp Business profile: green tick verification
chatbots and automated responses for FAQs
personalized broadcast messages
interactive messages with chat buttons
multiple logins
Learn how to create a WhatsApp Chatbot for your business in the UAE.
WhatsApp Business API Pricing in UAE (2025 Overview)
As of February 2025, the WhatsApp Business API operates on a conversation-based pricing model, where businesses are charged per 24-hour conversation session. This model is set to transition to a per-message pricing structure starting April 1, 2025, for the first group of API users, and July 1, 2025, for the second group.
In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the current conversation-based pricing is approximately:
Marketing Conversations: ~0.158 AED per conversation
Utility Conversations: ~0.079 AED per conversation
Authentication Conversations: ~0.073 AED per conversation
These rates are subject to change with the upcoming shift to per-message pricing. It's important to note that service conversations, which are user-initiated, became free of charge starting November 1, 2024.
Additionally, beginning April 1, 2025, utility template messages sent within a 24-hour customer service window will be free for all businesses.
For the most accurate and up-to-date information, businesses should consult the official WhatsApp Business Platform Pricing page or contact an official WhatsApp Business Solution Provider.
You can also contact SleekFlow, our team will be happy to create a tailored solution for your business needs with special prices.
New WhatsApp Business API pricing for the UAE (2025)
WhatsApp Pricing Calculator
If you want to estimate how much it would cost your business to have WhatsApp Business API, you can also calculate online your messaging cost using SleekFlow's WhatsApp pricing calculator! It is completely free of charge!
Calculate your WhatsApp Business messaging costs
WhatsApp Business API charges businesses per 24-hour conversation. Estimate your monthly charges now
Factors that affect the WhatsApp Business API pricing
If you are using WhatsApp Business API already, you should understand how everything works. However, with the new pricing model in place, there are a few factors that may affect your monthly spending on WhatsApp Business API.
1. Country/region
The fee for each type of business-initiated conversation, including utility, authentication, and marketing conversation, and user-initiated/service conversation depends on the country your business is located. You may refer to the table above to check the pricing for your country in the UAE.
2. Customer care window
As mentioned earlier, there is a customer care window in the conversation-based structure created by WhatsApp. If a customer sends a message to you, the 24 hours following the last message received from the customer is known as the Customer Care Window.
Beyond this Customer Care Window, businesses will then have to start the business-initiated conversation again with a Template Message.
So, what are template messages? Read on to find out.
Starting from June 2023, if you send 2 or more different types of business-initiated conversations within the same 24 window, you will be charged twice for each type of conversation.
Official WhatsApp Business API's message type
According to Facebook, businesses need to follow specific formats when drafting a notification send-out. More importantly, the content has to be consistent with its terms and policies. To understand that, we must first know the two basic types of messages, Template Messages and Session Messages.
Template Messages
Template Messages are pre-approved message templates for marketing messages or outbound notifications like delivery alerts and appointment reminders.
You must use a WhatsApp Template Message if more than 24 hours have elapsed since the user’s last response to you. Any other types of messages sent outside the 24-hour window will fail to reach the user.
For example, if you want your customer to receive this message:
Hi, Harry! Your Order Number: 20200120 has been dispatched. Thank you!
You will need to submit the following template:
Hi, {{1}}! Your Order Number: {{2}} has been dispatched. Thank you!
Hence, the first variable will be the customer name labeled as {{1}}, and the second variable will be the order number labeled as {{2}}.
Session Messages
Session Messages are any messages sent and received in response to a user-initiated message and do not require pre-approval.
A messaging session starts when a user sends you a message and lasts for 24 hours from the most recently received message.
You can wait for users to message you, and it would be a user-initiated conversation, or you can send a Template Message to invite the user to respond, which generates a business-initiated conversation.
WhatsApp Business API provider pricing
SleekFlow, as the official WhatsApp Business Solution Provider (BSP), is one of the best options for businesses looking for WhatsApp solutions. Users in UAE will only need to pay a monthly fee of US $15 (~AE $55.09) for each hosted number to enjoy the latest benefits available on the WhatsApp Business Platform.
As SleekFlow uses the WhatsApp Cloud API hosted by Meta, it guarantees a much stabler connection and offers from 80 up to 500 MPS (messaging per second) for WhatsApp Broadcast. Also, the easy yet powerful onboarding process only requires 3 minutes before you start experiencing the advantages of having an official WhatsApp Business account.
Find out how to get started with WhatsApp Business API through SleekFlow.
Understanding the billing process for WhatsApp Business API
Once your business starts implementing the WhatsApp Business API, it is of utmost importance for you to learn how to view payments and understand the invoice.
When creating a WhatsApp Business account, the system requires you to apply for a line of credit. After the application has been approved, a monthly invoice will be shown in the 'Payment Settings' section within your WhatsApp Business Manager.
As mentioned above, the invoice that includes all spending associated with the same WhatsApp Business Manager will be emailed to users during the first week of each month. The payments can then be settled by bank transfer to the Facebook bank account listed on each invoice. To avoid late payment charges, fees should be paid within 30 days following the invoice date.
The billing process is even simpler for SleekFlow customers! All you need to do is top up your WhatsApp credits through the SleekFlow platform, and the WhatsApp fees will be automatically deducted depending on your usage.
Want to outcompete your peers with SleekFlow's help?
Book your personalized demo with SleekFlow today and unlock the potential of seamless communication
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