Asia · Meta market: Sri Lanka
WhatsApp Business API for Sri Lanka while its PDPA switches on in stages
Sri Lanka keeps India's clock, but not India's rate card or its data law. Its PDPA is arriving one Part at a time, and the rule on promotional messages has no start date yet.
Per message · ₹ · ex-GST
Sri Lanka
- Marketing
- ₹6.44
- Utility
- ₹0.1759
- Authentication
- ₹0.1759
- Service replies
- ₹0.1759
InfiQ’s published rates, effective 1 October 2026.
For Indian businesses with customers or buyers in Sri Lanka, and Sri Lankan firms looking at InfiQ: which parts of the PDPA apply to WhatsApp now, what starts on 1 January 2027, the consent rule for promotions still to come, Sinhala and Tamil templates, and +94 rates.
See it work
The PDPA, one Part at a time
Sri Lanka's data law was passed in 2022 but commences by Gazette order. Step through what applies now, what starts on 1 January 2027 and what still has no date.
For a WhatsApp programme, two milestones matter. From 1 January 2027 controllers carry Part III duties: a data protection officer, breach notification, impact assessments where they apply, contracts with processors and rules on cross-border transfers.
The rule written for marketing messages, Part IV, has no start date yet. When it comes, promotional messages will need consent, an opt-out at collection and in every message, and a clearly named sender. Collect opt-ins to that standard now, and the day it switches on becomes a non-event.
Commencement of the Personal Data Protection Act, No. 9 of 2022
No date yetComing upEvent 7 of 7
Rights, promotions and penalties
Part II (data-subject rights), Part IV (consent for promotional messages) and Part VII (penalties) still await commencement orders.
Event 7 of 7: No date yet — Rights, promotions and penalties (coming up). Part II (data-subject rights), Part IV (consent for promotional messages) and Part VII (penalties) still await commencement orders.
Compliance
What Part IV will ask of a promotional WhatsApp message
Part IV is enacted but not yet in operation. It covers electronic and similar means without naming messaging apps, so its application to WhatsApp is an interpretation.
The Personal Data Protection Act, No. 9 of 2022, as amended by Act No. 22 of 2025, is Sri Lanka's data protection law. Its Part III controller duties apply from 1 January 2027; its Part IV rules on solicited messages await a commencement order.[7],[8],[9],[10],[11]
Regulator: Data Protection Authority of Sri Lanka (DPA)
Point 1
Consent before a promotion (upcoming)
Section 27(1) will let a controller send promotional messages by electronic or telecommunication means only if the data subject has given consent to receive them.[7]
Point 2
An opt-out at collection and in every message
Section 27(3) requires a free opt-out when the data are collected and in each message, and the message must disclose its nature and the sender's identity.[7]
Point 3
The Authority may set prefixes and rules
The DPA may set codes or prefixes to identify categories of solicited messages (section 27(5)) and make rules on solicited messages (section 33(p)).[7]
Point 4
From 1 January 2027: Part III duties
Data protection officer designation, personal data breach notification, impact assessments where applicable, controller–processor contracts and cross-border transfer rules, as reported by the Daily FT.[10]
Point 5
Rights and penalties are not yet enforceable
Part II rights such as access, rectification, erasure and objection are not yet enforceable, and the DPA cannot yet impose administrative penalties under Part VII. Once Part II starts, requests must be answered within one month, extendable by up to two more, and free of charge unless DPA rules allow a fee.[11],[8]
Point 6
WhatsApp's opt-in rule already applies
Meta's WhatsApp Business Messaging Policy requires the person's opt-in before a business messages them, whatever the commencement dates.[13]
- A summary of public guidance from the sources cited, not legal advice.
Market brief
Sri Lanka's economy in four lines
Recovery figures from the World Bank, and the payment rails customers already use.
- 01
Real GDP grew 4.7% in the first half of 2026, Sri Lanka's twelfth consecutive quarter of expansion, and output is back to its pre-crisis 2018 level, the World Bank reports.[2]
- 02
The World Bank projects growth of 4.4% in 2026 and 4.2% in 2027, with risks from weaker global growth, commodity prices, weather shocks and reform setbacks.[2]
- 03
Recovery from the 2022 crisis is incomplete: poverty is down from its 2023 peak but well above pre-crisis levels, and real wages have not fully recovered.[2]
- 04
LankaPay's CEFTS supports real-time transfers of up to Rs. 5 million, and LANKAQR is accepted at more than 400,000 merchants.[6]
Industries
Trades that already message the world
Export trades message buyers abroad, so their WhatsApp costs follow each buyer's country code, not Sri Lanka's.
- 01
Apparel
US$5.30 billion of export revenue in 2025, 40.68% of national export revenue, with a US$7 billion target for 2030; the USA and UK have historically been the largest buyers.[3]
On WhatsApp: Order status and sampling updates for overseas buyers · Shipment notices · Supplier coordination
- 02
Tea
About US$1.50 billion of export revenue and 264,122 MT exported in 2025; Sri Lanka was the fourth-highest valued tea exporter in 2024, with 13% of global tea exports.[4]
On WhatsApp: Buyer updates on auction lots · Sample dispatch notices · Shipping documents
- 03
Tourism
A significant services sector and a World Bank priority for growth.[2]
On WhatsApp: Booking confirmations · Itinerary changes · Guest concierge in English, Sinhala and Tamil
- 04
- 05
Agribusiness
Exports include rubber, coconut and spices, and agribusiness is a World Bank priority sector.[2]
On WhatsApp: Dealer and grower notices · Collection schedules
- 06
Digital services
Named by the World Bank as a priority sector for growth.[2]
On WhatsApp: Order confirmations · LANKAQR and JustPay payment reminders
Drag or swipe to rotate. Use the arrow keys to rotate, plus and minus to zoom, and 0 to reset.
Atlas
Same clock as India, different country code
Sri Lanka Standard Time is UTC+5:30, identical to IST, with no daylight saving.
No time-zone arithmetic: a broadcast at 11:00 in Mumbai lands at 11:00 in Colombo, and InfiQ's support hours line up with a Sri Lankan working day.
What this page cannot give you is a reliable figure for WhatsApp use in Sri Lanka; we did not find one from a source we trust, so none is quoted. Check your own data instead: how many of your Sri Lankan customers already message you on WhatsApp is the number that matters.
Sinhala, Tamil and English
All three are on Meta's template list, each approved as its own version.
Business messaging in Sri Lanka is often in English, with Sinhala and Tamil templates needed to reach mass-market customers. That is editorial judgement, not a measured split.
Write each language version natively rather than translating word for word, and let the contact's own choice decide which they receive. Replies inside the 24-hour window can be in any of the three.
| Language | Meta code | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| Sinhala | si_LK | The official language; needed for mass-market customers |
| Tamil | ta | Also an official language |
| English | en | The link language under the Constitution |
Prices in ₹ and LKR
What a +94 message costs
Lite is ₹999 a month and Growth ₹2,999. Messages to Sri Lankan numbers are charged at Sri Lanka's rate: ₹6.44 for marketing, ₹0.1759 for utility, ₹0.1759 for authentication and ₹0.1759 per service reply.
Snapshot rates · as of 20 Oct 2026, 00:02 UTC
Lite
₹999 / month≈ Rs 3,491.13 LKR
₹833 / month, billed yearly≈ Rs 2,911.03 LKR
Growth
₹2,999 / month≈ Rs 10,480 LKR
₹2,499 / month, billed yearly≈ Rs 8,733.08 LKR
Enterprise
Custom volume pricing, custom SLA and dedicated infrastructure.
Per message to Sri Lanka · Sri Lanka
| Category | ₹ INR | LKR |
|---|---|---|
| Marketing | ₹6.4397 | Rs 22.50 |
| Utility | ₹0.1759 | Rs 0.615 |
| Authentication | ₹0.1759 | Rs 0.615 |
| Service | ₹0.1759 | Rs 0.615 |
Per-message rates for all 47 markets, in ₹ and LKR
| Market | Marketing | Utility | Authentication | Service |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Argentina | Rs 18.99₹5.4352 | Rs 7.99₹2.2874 | Rs 7.99₹2.2874 | Rs 7.99₹2.2874 |
| Bangladesh | Rs 22.50₹6.4397 | Rs 1.14₹0.3254 | Rs 1.14₹0.3254 | Rs 1.14₹0.3254 |
| Brazil | Rs 19.21₹5.4970 | Rs 2.09₹0.5981 | Rs 2.09₹0.5981 | Rs 2.09₹0.5981 |
| Chile | Rs 27.31₹7.8162 | Rs 6.15₹1.7585 | Rs 6.15₹1.7585 | Rs 6.15₹1.7585 |
| Colombia | Rs 3.84₹1.0993 | Rs 0.247₹0.0706 | Rs 0.247₹0.0706 | Rs 0.247₹0.0706 |
| Egypt | Rs 19.79₹5.6629 | Rs 1.11₹0.3167 | Rs 1.11₹0.3167 | Rs 1.11₹0.3167 |
| France | Rs 26.42₹7.5588 | Rs 9.22₹2.6393 | Rs 9.22₹2.6393 | Rs 9.22₹2.6393 |
| Germany | Rs 41.97₹12.0088 | Rs 16.91₹4.8386 | Rs 16.91₹4.8386 | Rs 16.91₹4.8386 |
| Hong Kong | Rs 22.50₹6.4397 | Rs 7.99₹2.2867 | Rs 7.99₹2.2867 | Rs 7.99₹2.2867 |
| Hungary | Rs 26.42₹7.5596 | Rs 10.73₹3.0700 | Rs 10.73₹3.0700 | Rs 10.73₹3.0700 |
| India | Rs 3.30₹0.9435 | Rs 0.678₹0.1941 | Rs 0.490₹0.1402 | Rs 0.507₹0.1450 |
| Indonesia | Rs 12.63₹3.6133 | Rs 7.68₹2.1979 | Rs 7.68₹2.1979 | Rs 7.68₹2.1979 |
| Iraq | Rs 10.48₹2.9992 | Rs 2.43₹0.6943 | Rs 2.43₹0.6943 | Rs 2.43₹0.6943 |
| Israel | Rs 10.85₹3.1045 | Rs 1.63₹0.4662 | Rs 1.63₹0.4662 | Rs 1.63₹0.4662 |
| Italy | Rs 24.41₹6.9847 | Rs 9.21₹2.6369 | Rs 9.21₹2.6369 | Rs 9.21₹2.6369 |
| Kazakhstan | Rs 18.56₹5.3098 | Rs 5.53₹1.5824 | Rs 5.53₹1.5824 | Rs 5.53₹1.5824 |
| Kuwait | Rs 24.35₹6.9671 | Rs 13.51₹3.8671 | Rs 13.51₹3.8671 | Rs 13.51₹3.8671 |
| Malaysia | Rs 26.43₹7.5644 | Rs 4.30₹1.2314 | Rs 4.30₹1.2314 | Rs 4.30₹1.2314 |
| Mexico | Rs 12.19₹3.4877 | Rs 2.61₹0.7471 | Rs 2.61₹0.7471 | Rs 2.61₹0.7471 |
| Morocco | Rs 12.73₹3.6425 | Rs 7.07₹2.0218 | Rs 7.07₹2.0218 | Rs 7.07₹2.0218 |
| Netherlands | Rs 49.10₹14.0494 | Rs 15.37₹4.3987 | Rs 15.37₹4.3987 | Rs 15.37₹4.3987 |
| Nepal | Rs 22.50₹6.4397 | Rs 1.04₹0.2990 | Rs 1.04₹0.2990 | Rs 1.04₹0.2990 |
| Nigeria | Rs 15.87₹4.5421 | Rs 2.06₹0.5898 | Rs 2.06₹0.5898 | Rs 2.06₹0.5898 |
| Oman | Rs 10.48₹2.9992 | Rs 7.59₹2.1709 | Rs 7.59₹2.1709 | Rs 7.59₹2.1709 |
| Pakistan | Rs 14.54₹4.1620 | Rs 4.61₹1.3200 | Rs 4.61₹1.3200 | Rs 4.61₹1.3200 |
| Peru | Rs 21.61₹6.1843 | Rs 9.22₹2.6392 | Rs 9.22₹2.6392 | Rs 9.22₹2.6392 |
| Poland | Rs 11.22₹3.2105 | Rs 3.74₹1.0702 | Rs 3.74₹1.0702 | Rs 3.74₹1.0702 |
| Qatar | Rs 10.48₹2.9992 | Rs 3.69₹1.0547 | Rs 3.69₹1.0547 | Rs 3.69₹1.0547 |
| Romania | Rs 26.42₹7.5596 | Rs 8.89₹2.5436 | Rs 8.89₹2.5436 | Rs 8.89₹2.5436 |
| Russia | Rs 24.64₹7.0520 | Rs 12.29₹3.5173 | Rs 12.29₹3.5173 | Rs 12.29₹3.5173 |
| Saudi Arabia | Rs 17.66₹5.0537 | Rs 3.29₹0.9401 | Rs 3.29₹0.9401 | Rs 3.29₹0.9401 |
| Singapore | Rs 22.50₹6.4397 | Rs 4.92₹1.4072 | Rs 4.92₹1.4072 | Rs 4.92₹1.4072 |
| South Africa | Rs 11.67₹3.3385 | Rs 2.92₹0.8369 | Rs 2.92₹0.8369 | Rs 2.92₹0.8369 |
| Spain | Rs 21.72₹6.2161 | Rs 6.14₹1.7578 | Rs 6.14₹1.7578 | Rs 6.14₹1.7578 |
| Sri Lanka | Rs 22.50₹6.4397 | Rs 0.615₹0.1759 | Rs 0.615₹0.1759 | Rs 0.615₹0.1759 |
| Turkey | Rs 3.35₹0.9587 | Rs 0.277₹0.0792 | Rs 0.277₹0.0792 | Rs 0.277₹0.0792 |
| Ukraine | Rs 26.42₹7.5596 | Rs 9.13₹2.6138 | Rs 9.13₹2.6138 | Rs 9.13₹2.6138 |
| United Arab Emirates | Rs 17.66₹5.0537 | Rs 4.83₹1.3811 | Rs 4.83₹1.3811 | Rs 4.83₹1.3811 |
| United Kingdom | Rs 19.50₹5.5795 | Rs 6.76₹1.9346 | Rs 6.76₹1.9346 | Rs 6.76₹1.9346 |
| North America | Rs 7.68₹2.1976 | Rs 1.04₹0.2989 | Rs 1.04₹0.2989 | Rs 1.04₹0.2989 |
| Rest of Africa | Rs 6.92₹1.9796 | Rs 1.23₹0.3516 | Rs 1.23₹0.3516 | Rs 1.23₹0.3516 |
| Rest of Asia Pacific | Rs 25.88₹7.4057 | Rs 3.47₹0.9938 | Rs 3.47₹0.9938 | Rs 3.47₹0.9938 |
| Rest of Central & Eastern Europe | Rs 26.42₹7.5596 | Rs 6.50₹1.8595 | Rs 6.50₹1.8595 | Rs 6.50₹1.8595 |
| Rest of Latin America | Rs 22.73₹6.5048 | Rs 3.47₹0.9934 | Rs 3.47₹0.9934 | Rs 3.47₹0.9934 |
| Rest of Middle East | Rs 12.05₹3.4490 | Rs 2.80₹0.7998 | Rs 2.80₹0.7998 | Rs 2.80₹0.7998 |
| Rest of Western Europe | Rs 18.19₹5.2054 | Rs 5.25₹1.5019 | Rs 5.25₹1.5019 | Rs 5.25₹1.5019 |
| Other | Rs 18.56₹5.3098 | Rs 2.37₹0.6769 | Rs 2.37₹0.6769 | Rs 2.37₹0.6769 |
Plan prices are monthly, in rupees, excluding GST; yearly billing is two months free. Messages are charged per delivered message on top of the plan, at the rate for the recipient’s country. Full details: InfiQ pricing. Compare the marketing and utility lines: the category Meta approves a template under decides most of the bill. LKR amounts are indicative; InfiQ invoices in Indian rupees (INR).
Rates for every Meta market, plus plans and add-ons, are on one page.
See all plans and ratesOn InfiQ
Ready for Part IV before it starts
The pieces that turn the coming consent rule into routine.
- Consent records and opt-out enforcement
Each contact's opt-in source and time are recorded, STOP replies are enforced at platform level (even against later imports), and the audit trail exports.
Section 27 will need consent and an opt-out in every message. Opt-ins are recorded with source and time, and STOP holds across later imports.
- Template manager and library
Draft, submit and track WhatsApp message templates for Meta's approval, starting from a library of 1,000+ ready templates in 27 categories.
Sinhala, Tamil and English versions of each template, each tracked through Meta's approval.
- Shared team inbox
One WhatsApp number answered by a team: 10 users on Lite and 25 on Growth, agent and manager roles, transfers, private notes, labels and canned replies.
Hotels and tour operators can answer guests from one number, with transfers and private notes.
- WhatsApp Coexistence
Keep using the WhatsApp Business app on the same number while the API runs alongside it, within Meta's coexistence limits.
Keep the WhatsApp Business app on the front-desk number while the API runs alongside it, within Meta's limits.
- Integrations over the API
Shopify, WooCommerce, Razorpay, Zoho CRM, HubSpot, Google Sheets and others connect through InfiQ's API and webhooks today; native one-click connectors are still in development.
Connect booking or order systems through the API and webhooks; native one-click connectors are still in development.
- Customer data hosted in India
InfiQ processes customer data in data centres located in India; website telemetry vendors are listed separately in the subprocessor list.
Customer data is processed in India. If the PDPA applies to you, map that transfer before Part III's cross-border rules start on 1 January 2027.
Two ways in
Two ways to start
InfiQ serves India-based businesses. Companies based in Sri Lanka start with sales.
Your business is in India
- 1.
Start a 7-day Lite trial
No card needed. Connect a number and submit Sinhala, Tamil and English templates.
- 2.
Collect consent to the Part IV standard
Say what you will send, offer an opt-out, and name your business in every promotion.
- 3.
Go live after verification
About two hours once Meta business verification is complete.
Your business is in Sri Lanka
- 1.
Talk to sales
Availability for a company based in Sri Lanka goes through sales.
- 2.
Know the terms
Billing in Indian rupees, customer data processed in India, and support in English and Hindi on India time, which is also Sri Lanka's.
City guides in Sri Lanka
Questions businesses ask about WhatsApp in Sri Lanka
- Which parts of Sri Lanka's PDPA apply to WhatsApp messaging today?
- Few that a marketer would notice. The Data Protection Authority has existed since 2023 and Parts V, VI, VIII, IX and X operate, but data-subject rights (Part II), the rules on promotional messages (Part IV) and penalties (Part VII) still await commencement orders, and controller duties start on 1 January 2027. WhatsApp's own opt-in policy applies in the meantime.
- What does 1 January 2027 change for a business messaging Sri Lankan customers?
- Part III's controller duties begin. Gazette 2498/16 brings sections 2–3, Part I on processing and Part III on controllers and processors into operation that day: designating a data protection officer, notifying personal data breaches, impact assessments where they apply, controller–processor contracts and cross-border transfer rules.
- When Part IV starts, what will each promotional WhatsApp message need?
- Consent, an opt-out and a named sender. Section 27 allows promotional messages by electronic means only with the data subject's consent, requires a free opt-out at collection and in every message, and asks each message to disclose its nature and the sender's identity. The DPA may also set prefixes for such messages.
- Can one account send templates in Sinhala, Tamil and English?
- Yes. Meta's template list includes Sinhala (si_LK), Tamil (ta) and English, and each language version is approved separately, so one account can send the same booking confirmation in all three and each contact receives the one they chose.
- Can we put a LANKAQR or JustPay payment request in a WhatsApp message?
- Yes, as a code or link from your payment provider; the payment itself happens outside the chat. InfiQ does not offer in-chat payments. LankaPay describes LANKAQR as accepted at more than 400,000 merchants and JustPay as a real-time account-based service for everyday and e-commerce payments.
- We export tea and garments. What do messages to our overseas buyers cost?
- Each is charged at the buyer's country rate, not Sri Lanka's. Meta prices a message by the recipient's country code, so a buyer on a UK number is charged at the United Kingdom rate and one on a US number at the North America rate; the pricing page lists every market. If your company is based in Sri Lanka, availability goes through sales.
- Is WhatsApp cheaper than SMS for customers in Sri Lanka?
- This page cannot say: InfiQ publishes WhatsApp rates, not Sri Lankan SMS prices. On InfiQ a utility message to a +94 number costs ₹0.1759 and a marketing message ₹6.44, ex-GST; compare those with your SMS provider's quote for the same volume.
- Our hotel's front desk uses the WhatsApp Business app. Can we keep it while adding the API?
- Yes, through WhatsApp Coexistence, within Meta's limits. The app keeps working on the same number while the API runs alongside it; history sync, throughput and some features differ from a number that runs on the API alone, as the coexistence page explains.
Sources
Facts on this page were checked against these sources on the dates shown. InfiQ's rates come from its published rate card. Page updated 2026-10-20.
- [1]Constitution of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, Chapter IV · Parliament of Sri Lanka · read 2026-10-20
- [2]Sri Lanka overview · World Bank · read 2026-10-20
- [3]Apparel · Sri Lanka Export Development Board · read 2026-10-20
- [4]Tea · Sri Lanka Export Development Board · read 2026-10-20
- [5]Homepage · Sri Lanka Ports Authority · read 2026-10-20
- [6]Homepage · LankaPay · read 2026-10-20
- [7]Personal Data Protection Act, No. 9 of 2022 (official English text) · Data Protection Authority of Sri Lanka · read 2026-10-20
- [8]Personal Data Protection (Amendment) Act, No. 22 of 2025 · Data Protection Authority of Sri Lanka · read 2026-10-20
- [9]Personal Data Protection Act No. 9 of 2022: commencement timeline · readme.lk Digital Policy Watch · read 2026-10-20
- [10]Data protection compliance regime takes effect on 1 Jan. 2027 (10 August 2026) · Daily FT · read 2026-10-20
- [11]Legal experts flag unique compliance landscape in staggered PDPA rollout (27 July 2026) · Daily Mirror · read 2026-10-20
- [12]Time Zone Database, 'asia' file (Asia/Colombo, Asia/Kolkata) · IANA · read 2026-10-20
- [13]WhatsApp Business Messaging Policy (updated 23 September 2026) · WhatsApp (Meta) · read 2026-10-20
Get your opt-ins ready before Part IV starts
Start a 7-day Lite trial, no card needed, and build Sinhala, Tamil and English templates. Companies based in Sri Lanka: talk to sales about availability.
