WhatsApp error 131042: how do I add a payment method?

Meta charges for WhatsApp messages itself, so your WhatsApp account needs its own payment method. Without one, Meta refuses to send and gives error 131042, a "payment issue".

Checked 11 November 2026 against Meta's own documentation. Meta changes its rules now and then, and Meta always has the final say.

Add a payment method

Open payment methods in Meta. In WhatsApp Manager it's called Payment settings. If you have more than one business, check the right one is picked at the top left.
Press Add payment method and add a card.
Send again. Messages that failed don't send themselves: in Sonar, open the broadcast and press Re-send failed.

Meta explains it in its own help page.

Why it happens

The card was never added, it expired or was declined, or the number sits in a different business portfolio from the one with the card. Meta keeps billing per account, so a number in another portfolio needs a card of its own there.

Your Sonar plan is paid separately and doesn't cover Meta's charges. Meta doesn't charge for messages that fail.

How Sonar helps: Sonar shows a red notice on your dashboard until a card is on, and what Meta needs from you lists Meta's other steps.

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Need a hand?

Email support@whats-hub.co.za with the error code and what you were doing. We can't change Meta's rules, but we'll tell you what Meta is asking for.

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