Fix WhatsApp error 131042: “There was an error related to your payment method”

What WhatsApp error 131042 means

Error 131042 means Meta tried to bill a message to your Messaging account and couldn’t, so it didn’t send the message. Meta’s error reference describes it as “There was an error related to your payment method”, and Meta’s calling documentation refers to the same problem as the “Business eligibility payment issue”.

In Meta’s account model, the Messaging account holds your templates and your payment method, while the WhatsApp account holds your phone number. When Whapi sends an order confirmation or a shipping update, Meta charges the Messaging account linked to Whapi. If that account has no working payment method, every paid message fails. Meta lists eight common causes:

What changed on October 1, 2026

Since October 1, 2026, a missing payment method affects more than template messages. Meta started charging again for messages that had been free, and it stops delivering service messages for accounts that can’t be billed:

• Service messages (free-form replies inside the 24-hour customer service window) are charged after the first 1,000 per business phone number each month. The free tier resets every month at midnight in the Messaging account’s time zone and unused messages don’t roll over.
• No payment method: Meta delivers service messages inside the free tier and stops delivering them once it is used up.
• Utility templates sent inside an open window are charged at the normal utility rate. They were free from July 1, 2025 to September 30, 2026.
• Template messages in every category still need a valid payment method, as before. Meta’s support docs say that if you can’t send template messages, you most likely haven’t added one.

Our post on the October 2026 WhatsApp pricing change explains the new charges in more detail.

How to add a payment method for WhatsApp in Meta

You add the card in WhatsApp Manager: open the Overview page, click Add payment method and complete the flow. Meta’s Help Center article Add a credit card to your WhatsApp Business Platform account covers the same flow. Payment methods also appear in Meta’s Billing Hub.

1. 1

   Open the payment step from Whapi or WhatsApp Manager

   After you connect your number, Whapi shows a second setup step asking you to add a payment method, which takes you to Meta. You can also go straight to the WhatsApp Manager Overview page.
2. 2

   Select the business that owns your WhatsApp number

   If you manage more than one business portfolio, switch to the one that owns the number you connected to Whapi. Each Messaging account has its own payment method, so a card saved on another account does not pay for Whapi messages.
3. 3

   Click Add payment method and enter your card

   Click Add payment method and complete the flow with a credit or debit card. If Meta asks for business or tax details for your country, fill them in.
4. 4

   Approve the code from your bank

   Your bank may send a one-time password to confirm the card. Enter it exactly. If verification fails, Meta shows a “hasn’t been verified” message and the card is not saved.
5. 5

   Make sure the card shows the Default label

   In the Payment methods list, the card you want Meta to charge should carry the Default label. If another card is the default, change it from the menu next to the card.
6. 6

   Send a test message from Whapi

   Use Send Test Message in Whapi with a personal WhatsApp number that is different from your business number. If the test arrives, Meta can bill the account again.

When Meta won’t accept your card

Meta documents four card errors in Meta Business Suite, and each one points to the card or the bank. Here is Meta’s wording and its suggested fix:

Card added but messages still fail with 131042

If a valid card is saved and messages still fail, the card is usually on a different Messaging account, an old provider’s credit line is still attached, or the account has a problem only Meta can clear.

The card is on a different Messaging account

In Meta’s new account model, each provider you work with usually gets its own Messaging account, and each Messaging account has its own payment method. A card saved for another provider, or for an ad account, does not pay for messages Whapi sends. In Meta Business Suite, open Settings > Accounts > Messaging Accounts and check the account shared with Whapi.

An old provider’s credit line is still attached

Meta notes that businesses who used a partner before, and still share that partner’s credit line, can see errors when they switch. For a WhatsApp Business app number, Meta’s fix is to back up your messages, disconnect the number from the old platform in the WhatsApp Business app, reconnect, and run the coexistence signup again. The guide to moving your number to Whapi has the full steps.

The account is suspended or deleted

A suspended account needs Meta’s review: open Business Support Home, read the alert and appeal if you think it’s wrong. If the WhatsApp Business account was deleted, reconnect your number with Connect WhatsApp in Whapi.

Open a billing ticket with Meta

When the settings look right, Meta’s billing team has to check the account. Open a ticket in Meta Direct Support with the topic Dev: Billing, Credit & Pricing and the request type Credit Card Billing. For a specific charge, copy the transaction ID from Billing & payments (under Accounts > Messaging accounts or Payment activity) into the ticket. If the billing topic doesn’t appear, Meta says to ask your provider to open the ticket; email info@usewhapi.com and we will.

Billing currency notes by country

Meta’s billing rules are the same in every country. What changes is the currency you can be billed in, and how your bank treats online card payments.

• Euros and pounds: EUR and GBP are available as billing currencies, as well as USD. Meta publishes its own EUR rate cards for Germany, France, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands and a GBP card for the United Kingdom; theWhatsApp API pricing page lists them.
• Saudi Arabia and the UAE: Meta added SAR and AED as billing currencies on April 1, 2026, next to USD.
• Pakistan: Meta has no Pakistani rupee billing currency, so Messaging accounts there use another supported currency, such as US dollars. If your bank limits online or international card payments, ask it to allow payments to Meta before you add the card.
• Everywhere: you pick the currency when the Messaging account is created, and Meta says it can’t be changed on that account afterwards; switching currency needs Meta’s currency migration process. Meta supports 16 billing currencies in total.

What the payment method pays for

The card pays Meta for each delivered message, at the rate for its category and the customer’s country. An order confirmation is usually a utility template; promotions are marketing templates. Here are Meta’s USD list rates for a selection of markets:

For example, one order confirmation to a customer in Germany costs $0.0550 at Meta’s utility list rate, and one to the United Kingdom $0.0220. The country pages for the Gulf and Pakistan work through monthly costs, and the order confirmation feature shows what each message does.

What you see in Whapi

Whapi shows the payment step during setup and sends your messages, but billing for messages happens between you and Meta.

• During setup, after you connect your number, Whapi shows a second step that asks you to add a payment method and opens Meta’s billing page.
• Whapi’s own plan is billed through Shopify: Pro at $18.99 per month and Team at $45 per month. Message fees are paid to Meta, with no markup from Whapi. See Whapi pricing.
• If messages fail with 131042 after setup, email info@usewhapi.com with the time and the order number, and we will check which account Meta is trying to bill.