Kenya
Guide
What WhatsApp messages cost in Kenya, in shillings
Meta charges per delivered message at its Rest of Africa rate and bills in US dollars. Here are the rates in dollars and shillings, what is free, and worked examples for a salon, a restaurant and a school. Shilling figures use the indicative rate of KSh 129.98 per US dollar of 3 November 2026.
Rates in US$ and KSh
What is free
Worked examples
No DMly markup
How Meta charges
Meta's per-message model, explained
Your WhatsApp bill has two separate parts, and only one of them moves when you send more.
You pay per delivered message
Meta charges for each delivered template message, at a rate set by the message category and the customer's country. Kenya falls under Meta's Rest of Africa rate, and the rates on this page apply from 1 October 2026.
Meta bills in US dollars
Meta's rates are set in US dollars, so the shilling cost moves a little with the exchange rate. The shilling figures on this page are approximate and use KSh 129.98 per US dollar, the indicative market rate of 3 November 2026.
Your DMly plan is separate
Your DMly plan is a fixed monthly fee, from US$29 a month, billed in US dollars. Meta's message charges are passed through at Meta's rate, and DMly adds nothing on top.
What costs nothing
Every message a customer sends you is free. The first 1,000 service replies each month on each business number are free too. Contacts sitting in your CRM and templates you never send cost nothing.
The rates
Meta's Rest of Africa rates for Kenya
Per delivered message, from 1 October 2026. Shillings at KSh 129.98 per US dollar.
Worked examples
Three Kenyan businesses, worked out at Meta's rates
These are examples, not quotes. The message counts are made up to show the arithmetic. Put in your own counts and the rates stay the same.
Salon: about KSh
1,482
a month
Example only. 300 booking confirmations and 300 day-before reminders are 600 utility messages: 600 x US$0.004 = US$2.40. One offer to 400 opted-in clients is 400 marketing messages: 400 x US$0.0225 = US$9. Total US$11.40, about KSh 1,482.
Restaurant: about KSh
7,045
a month
Example only. 1,500 order updates: 1,500 x US$0.004 = US$6. Two weekend offers to 1,000 opted-in customers: 2,000 x US$0.0225 = US$45. 1,800 service replies, of which 800 go past the free 1,000: 800 x US$0.004 = US$3.20. Total US$54.20, about KSh 7,045.
School: about KSh
936
a term
Example only. 600 parents each get a fee reminder, a report card notice and a closing day notice: 1,800 utility messages x US$0.004 = US$7.20, about KSh 936 for the term. Parents' replies are free.
Your own estimate
How to estimate your monthly WhatsApp cost in Kenya
01
Count your utility messages
Confirmations, reminders, order updates and receipts. Multiply by US$0.004.
02
Count your marketing messages
Add up every offer by the number of opted-in customers it goes to. Multiply by US$0.0225.
03
Check your service replies
Replies inside the 24-hour window are free up to 1,000 a month per number. Multiply anything past that by US$0.004.
04
Convert to shillings
Add the totals and multiply by the current exchange rate. At KSh 129.98, US$10 is about KSh 1,300.
Keeping it down
How to keep WhatsApp costs down in Kenya
None of this means sending less. It means sending the right category, to the right people, at the right moment.
Window
Answer inside the 24 hours
When a customer messages first, reply without a template inside the 24-hour window. The first 1,000 of those service replies each month are free.
Category
Keep updates as updates
A booking confirmation is a utility message at about KSh 0.52. Add an offer to it and it can become marketing at about KSh 2.92. Send the offer separately.
Segments
Send offers to the right people
A Westlands offer does not need to reach customers in Mombasa. Segment by branch, service or last visit.
Opt-in
Message people who want to hear from you
A number that never opted in costs the same as a loyal customer and will not reply. It also goes against the consent the Kenya Data Protection Act expects.
Payments
Collect in the same chat
A payment link sent inside an open conversation saves a separate reminder template later.
Templates
Write updates as utility templates
Confirmations, reminders and receipts written plainly, without sales lines, are reviewed as utility and charged at the lower rate.
Why DMly
Why businesses in Kenya choose DMly
Your customers already message you on WhatsApp and pay by M-Pesa. DMly puts both in one place, with costs explained in shillings before you send.
01The official WhatsApp API, on your numberDMly runs on Meta's official WhatsApp Business API with your own number, and co-existence keeps the WhatsApp Business app working on your phone.
02M-Pesa and card in the chatSend payment links and invoices through Paystack or Flutterwave, whichever you enable. DMly adds no fee, and receipts go out automatically.
03Every channel, one inboxWhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Telegram, SMS and website chat, answered by one team with assignment, notes and full history.
04Message costs you can seeMeta bills Kenya at its Rest of Africa rate: about KSh 2.92 per delivered marketing message and about KSh 0.52 for utility. DMly adds nothing on top.
05Opt-in and STOP built inBroadcasts go to customers who opted in, and STOP replies are honoured on every channel, which helps you respect the Data Protection Act, 2019.
06Set up with you, freeOur team gets on a video call, connects your channels, builds your first flows and helps with Meta business verification at no cost.
Questions
WhatsApp costs in Kenya: what owners ask
How much does one WhatsApp marketing message cost in Kenya?
US$0.0225 per delivered message at Meta's Rest of Africa rate, about KSh 2.92 at KSh 129.98 per US dollar.
Are WhatsApp replies to customers free?
Incoming messages are always free. Your service replies inside the 24-hour window are free for the first 1,000 each month per business number, then US$0.004 each, about KSh 0.52.
Does DMly add anything to Meta's message charges?
No. Meta's charges are passed through at Meta's rate, and your DMly plan is a separate line.
Why are the costs in US dollars?
Meta sets and bills WhatsApp rates in US dollars. Shilling figures are approximate and move with the exchange rate.
How much would 2,000 promotional messages cost?
2,000 marketing messages x US$0.0225 = US$45, about KSh 5,850.
Is a booking reminder a marketing or a utility message?
A plain reminder about a booking the customer made is usually a utility template, at US$0.004. Add a promotion to it and Meta can treat it as marketing, at US$0.0225.
Work out your own month with us
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