LINE Official Account pricing has three tiers: the free Communication Plan (200 messages/month), the Light Plan (about ¥5,000/month for 5,000 messages), and the Standard Plan (from about ¥15,000/month for 30,000+ messages, with per-message overage once you exceed the base tier). A single-location small business usually fits the free or Light plan. A multi-location chain in Japan sending regular promotions to thousands of followers needs Standard.
If you are comparing LINE Official Account pricing before you open an account, here is the short version: opening one costs nothing, and what you pay for is how many messages you push out each month. Not how many followers you have, and not how many staff log in.
This guide walks through LINE Official Account pricing plan by plan, with LINE’s own numbers, a few worked examples, and a note on what an AI chatbot does and does not change. Everything here is for Japan, because LINE’s plans differ by country. LINE had 99.0 million monthly active users in Japan in late 2025, according to DataReportal, which is why so many Japanese shops start here.
What does LINE Official Account pricing look like in Japan?
There are three plans, and new accounts start on the free one. LINE’s plan page says you move to Light or Standard after opening the account. LINE’s developer documentation shows the same table in English. All fees below exclude tax.
| Communication | Light | Standard | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly fee | ¥0 | ¥5,000 | ¥15,000 |
| Free messages per month | 200 | 5,000 | 30,000 |
| Extra messages | Not available | Not available | Up to ¥3 each |
| Good for | Trying it out | Occasional promotions | Frequent campaigns |
Sources: LINE for Business plan page and LINE Developers, Messaging API pricing. The last row is our reading, not LINE’s wording.
Two details people miss. First, the plans do not switch on different features. LINE’s plan page says the features available are the same, and only the free message count and the option to buy extra messages differ. Second, if you hit the limit on Communication or Light, LINE does not bill you more. Sending simply stops until you upgrade.
How does LINE count messages, and why does that decide your plan?
LINE counts one message per person who receives a broadcast, so 1,000 followers and 3 broadcasts a month is 3,000 messages. LINE’s plan page describes the count as the number of times you send, multiplied by the number of friends you send to. A single send can hold up to three bubbles, and the bubbles do not change the count.
What counts and what does not, according to LINE:
- Counted: broadcast and targeted sends, step messages, and the Push, Multicast, Broadcast and Narrowcast APIs.
- Not counted: the chat itself, auto-reply messages, greeting messages, and the Reply API.
That last group matters for anyone running a chatbot, so it gets its own section below.
Which LINE Official Account pricing plan should a single-location business pick?
Most single-location businesses end up on Light. A simple rule: multiply your followers by the number of broadcasts you plan each month. If the answer is under 200, the free plan covers you. If it is under 5,000, Light is enough.
Here is how that plays out:
| Followers | Broadcasts per month | Messages counted | Plan that fits |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 | 1 | 100 | Communication (free) |
| 800 | 2 | 1,600 | Light |
| 1,000 | 5 | 5,000 | Light, right at the limit |
| 1,000 | 6 | 6,000 | Standard |
The numbers in the table are an example of our own arithmetic, not LINE data. Followers only turn into messages when you broadcast, so a quiet account with a big list can still sit on a small plan.
Which LINE Official Account pricing plan fits a chain or a busy retailer?
If your total sends pass 5,000 a month, you need Standard, because Light has no way to buy extra messages. Standard includes 30,000 free messages for ¥15,000, and then charges up to ¥3 for each one after that.
An example: 10 stores with 1,000 followers each, sending 2 campaigns a month, is 20,000 messages. That fits inside Standard’s 30,000 free messages. Plans are chosen per account in LINE Official Account Manager, so a chain that runs one account per store should do this sum store by store.
One more thing worth knowing: LINE announced a change to extra-message prices effective October 1, 2026, in Japan. Its notice says extra messages cost ¥3 each up to 200,000 a month, and ¥2.5 each above 200,000.
What happens if you go over the monthly message limit?
On Communication and Light, sending stops. On Standard, you pay for the extra messages. LINE’s developer documentation says that when you exceed the free limit on a plan without extra messages, an error is returned and the messages are not sent.
To send extra messages on Standard, you also have to set a maximum number of extra messages in LINE Official Account Manager. LINE treats that cap as a guide, not a guarantee, so check your usage during a busy month.
Here is what a month costs on Standard, using LINE’s published prices (our arithmetic, before tax):
| Messages sent in a month | Plan | Monthly cost |
|---|---|---|
| 1,000 | Light | ¥5,000 |
| 20,000 | Standard | ¥15,000 |
| 40,000 | Standard | ¥45,000 (¥15,000 plus 10,000 extra messages at ¥3) |
| 50,000 | Standard | ¥75,000 (¥15,000 plus 20,000 extra messages at ¥3) |
LINE’s own example uses the 40,000 case: choose Standard and pay for the 10,000 messages over the free limit.
Does adding an AI chatbot change LINE Official Account pricing?
Replies to customers who message you first are not counted, so a chatbot that only answers people does not use up your message limit. According to LINE’s pricing documentation, the Reply API and auto-reply messages are not counted toward the plan’s message count. LINE explains how reply and push messages differ in its guide to sending messages. Anything you push out on your own, such as a promotion or a reminder, still counts.
That is why a bot built around answering questions can often stay on a smaller plan than a shop that also broadcasts heavily. We build AI agents for LINE, WhatsApp and websites, and our LINE chatbot page explains how it works with your existing account. For a sense of what fast replies do, our photography studio client went from a first reply of 15+ hours to under 30 seconds on WhatsApp. If you want to understand the technical side, LINE Messaging API vs LINE Official Account covers the difference.
Conclusion: choosing a plan from LINE Official Account pricing
Count your broadcasts, not your followers. Under 200 messages a month, the free plan is enough. Under 5,000, Light is the sensible middle. Past that, Standard is the only plan that lets you keep sending. LINE Official Account pricing is simple once you do that one multiplication, and you can change plan later.
Frequent Asked Questions: LINE Official Account pricing
Question: How much does a LINE Official Account cost in Japan?
Answer: Opening one is free. The monthly fee is ¥0 for Communication, ¥5,000 for Light and ¥15,000 for Standard, all before tax, per LINE.
Question: Can you buy extra messages on the Light plan?
Answer: No. LINE says only Standard allows extra messages. On Communication and Light, sending stops at the limit and you need to upgrade to send more.
Question: Do replies to customers count toward the LINE message limit?
Answer: No. LINE does not count the chat itself, auto-reply messages, greeting messages or the Reply API. Messages you push out, such as broadcasts, do count.
Question: How much do extra messages cost on the Standard plan?
Answer: LINE’s notice says ¥3 per message up to 200,000 extra messages a month, and ¥2.5 above that, effective October 1, 2026 in Japan.
Question: Is LINE Official Account pricing the same in every country?
Answer: No. LINE says plans vary by country or region, and this article covers Japan only.
Want a second pair of eyes on your LINE setup?
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