Using WhatsApp's Rp 50,000 Subscription Payment, Here Are the Benefits

Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia - WhatsApp appears to be following in the footsteps of its two Meta siblings, Facebook and Instagram, by introducing a paid account option. Reports indicate the company is currently testing this on the messaging platform. Previously, WhatsApp Plus had been detected by several users, and the platform confirmed the trial. “WhatsApp is testing a new optional subscription called WhatsApp Plus, designed for users who want more ways to organise and personalise their experience,” said a Meta spokesperson, quoted from Tech Crunch, Tuesday (21/4/2026). The company did not specify the subscription price. A WABetaInfo report suggests the package could be priced at 2.49 euros (Rp 50,200) per month in Europe and 299 PKR (Rp 18,300) in Pakistan. WABetaInfo also added that WhatsApp offers a one-month free trial. However, this subscription account does not provide many additional functional features. The features obtained include custom themes and ringtones. There is also the ability to pin chats up to 20 conversations, an increase from 3 chats in the free version. The Meta spokesperson mentioned that premium features also include special lists and new chat themes. Tech Crunch highlighted that there is no mention of ad removal in the Status feature. WhatsApp is known to have introduced ads in that feature some time ago. Meta also did not specify when the trial will end and when WhatsApp Plus will be released to the public. The Meta spokesperson explained that the trial is being conducted to gather user feedback. Additionally, it ensures building something useful. “We are starting with a small trial to gather feedback and ensure we are building something useful for people,” clarified the Meta spokesperson. WhatsApp previously charged a US$1 subscription fee in some regions long before being acquired by Facebook. After that, the fee was removed until 2016, and only ten years later is a paid account returning to WhatsApp.