# WhatsApp authentication-international rates

Some countries cost more for authentication templates. Meta calls the higher rate authentication-international, and it applies when the business sending the code is based outside the country receiving it. The business in question is whoever owns the WhatsApp Business Account the message goes out on.

## Where the rate applies

Not every country has one, and the set changes. Meta's [rate cards](https://developers.facebook.com/documentation/business-messaging/whatsapp/pricing#rate-cards) list both rates per country; what you pay through Bird is on the [WhatsApp pricing page](https://bird.com/pricing/whatsapp).

## What Meta looks at

Three things, all assessed against the business portfolio that owns the WABA.

Volume first. A business becomes eligible once it sends more than 750,000 messages outside customer service windows in a rolling 30 days, counted across every WhatsApp Business Account it owns, to unique users in countries that have the rate. That status is permanent. Sending less next month does not take it away.

Then location. Meta compares the recipient's country calling code with the business's primary business location, the country where it is headquartered and keeps its books. A business based in Indonesia pays the ordinary authentication rate on codes to Indonesian users, and the international rate on codes to India.

Then timing. Start times are per business and per country, set 30 days out from the day eligibility is reached. Nothing bills at the higher rate before that date.

## How Meta tells you

Meta emails your account admins, and anyone the accounts are shared with, when the business becomes eligible. The email gives your start time per country and the primary business location Meta determined. Start times are 30 days out. Where a country's differs, the email says so.

Meta derives primary business location from public information, then shows it in Business Manager as Verified, Pending verification, or Rejected. To set or correct it, open [Business Settings](https://business.facebook.com/settings/info?edit_pbl=true), pick the country where the business is headquartered, answer the questions, and submit. Review takes up to three business days, and the field locks until it finishes.

Verified status does not affect billing. Past a country's start time, codes there bill at the international rate regardless.

Meta's full reference is [Authentication-international rates](https://developers.facebook.com/documentation/business-messaging/whatsapp/pricing/authentication-international-rates).

## Where to see what you spent

The [**Usage**](https://bird.com/dashboard) page breaks WhatsApp consumption down by destination country, so each affected market is its own row, and the [**Spend**](https://bird.com/dashboard) page is the wallet ledger, one row per charge with a running balance. Per message, read it back with [`GET /v1/whatsapp/messages/{message_id}`](/docs/api/reference/get-whats-app-message): the `cost` object shows what it actually cost, null until the message has been priced and on messages rejected before pricing.

## Shared senders and managed templates

Codes sent out through shared senders on [Verify](/docs/guides/verify/overview), or using managed authentication templates in the [WhatsApp API](/docs/guides/whatsapp/sending-whatsapp), always pay the international rate. The account behind them is not yours, so your own volume and location do not come into it.

## Next steps

- [Usage, spend & invoices](/docs/knowledge-base/billing/usage-and-invoices): where WhatsApp charges land across the three billing pages.
- [Sending WhatsApp messages](/docs/guides/whatsapp/sending-whatsapp): the send call and the cost model behind each message.
- [WhatsApp templates](/docs/guides/whatsapp/templates): categories, variables, and the catalog you send from.
- [Plans & pricing](/docs/knowledge-base/billing/plans-and-pricing): what the plan covers and what is pay-as-you-go.