WhatsApp guides / Error 131042
WhatsApp error 131042: business eligibility payment issue
Error 131042 means Meta found a problem with the payment method behind your WhatsApp Business Account, so it would not send the message. The fix is in Meta's billing settings, not in your messaging software.
Based on Meta's official documentation, checked 18 October 2026. Sources are linked at the end; where Meta gives no fix, we do not invent one.
What Meta says it means
Meta describes 131042 as an error related to your payment method. The common problems it lists:
- No payment account is attached to the WhatsApp Business Account.
- The credit line is over its limit.
- The credit line (payment account) is not set or not active.
- The WhatsApp Business Account is deleted or suspended.
- The account's timezone or currency is not set.
- A request to message on behalf of another business (MessagingFor) is pending or was declined.
What Meta says to do
- Read Meta's "About billing for your WhatsApp Business account" and check that billing is set up correctly, working through the causes above.
Why this matters more since October 2026
- From 1 October 2026 Meta charges for service messages beyond 1,000 a month per number. Meta said that for businesses with no payment method on file it would stop delivering service messages once they become charged, so a missing payment method now affects replies to customers, not just templates.