WhatsApp Business API: what it changes for a small business
The WhatsApp Business API, or Meta’s Cloud API, connects your WhatsApp number to software: several users, assigned conversations, campaigns and automated messages. With WYP.chat you connect it without a developer from your Meta account, and keep the app on your phone. Meta charges for some messages; WYP.chat starts at €0.
Message us on WhatsApp - Meta’s official API, hosted by Meta
- Connect from your Meta account, no code
- The WhatsApp Business app stays on your phone
- Your WhatsApp Business account stays in your name
- Messages billed directly by Meta
What is the WhatsApp Business API?
WhatsApp comes in three versions: WhatsApp for individuals, the WhatsApp Business app for small shops, and the WhatsApp Business Platform for businesses that handle a lot of messages. The WhatsApp Business API is the way into that platform. Its current version, the Cloud API, is hosted by Meta.
The API has no screen of its own: it plugs into software, which shows the conversations, lets several people reply and sends campaigns. WYP.chat is that software: a shared inbox connected to your number through the API.
Your WhatsApp Business account (WABA) is created in your own Meta account. It stays yours, with your number, your templates and your payment method.
Running WhatsApp customer service as a team →WhatsApp Business app or API: the differences
The app works for one person replying from a phone. The API pays off as soon as several people reply, you send messages at scale or you want to automate.
| Criterion | WhatsApp Business app | API with WYP.chat |
|---|---|---|
| Users and devices | One main phone and up to 4 linked devices | Unlimited users, each with their own login, on computer and phone |
| Assignment | None: everyone sees the same list | One owner per conversation, author shown on every reply |
| Automation | Away message, greeting message, quick replies | Quick replies, response-time tracking (from Team), scenarios and automated messages (included from Solo, in credits on the Free plan) |
| Campaigns | Broadcast lists from the phone | Approved templates, opt-in audience, scheduling and tracking (included from Solo, in credits on the Free plan) |
| Integrations | No connection to your other tools | Google Calendar, Slack, Calendly, Cal.com, Ringover and SnapCall; CRM connectors coming soon |
| Channels | WhatsApp only | WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, Telegram, email and website chat in one inbox |
| Groups, channels, status, calls | Yes | Not through the API: they stay in the app thanks to coexistence |
| Price | Free app | Some messages billed by Meta, WYP.chat plan from €0 |
Getting API access without a developer
The connection uses Meta’s Embedded Signup: a Meta window opens inside WYP.chat and you do everything with your own account. No code, no server to install. While Meta reviews WYP.chat, our team sets up this connection with you.
- 1 Create your WYP.chat workspace Email address and business name, no credit card.
- 2 Start the connection with our team Write to us: while Meta reviews WYP.chat, we open the “Connect WhatsApp” window with you. If the number is already in the WhatsApp Business app, tick the box to keep using it.
- 3 Sign in to Meta In the Meta window, use the Facebook account that manages your business, then choose or create your business portfolio and WhatsApp Business account.
- 4 Add your number Confirm it by following Meta’s instructions and enter your business display name. WYP.chat completes the connection on its own.
- 5 Add a payment method at Meta In your WhatsApp Business account, for the messages Meta charges for. WYP.chat warns you if it is missing.
- 6 Invite your team Unlimited users on every plan.
Keeping the WhatsApp Business app on your phone
With coexistence, the same number works in both the app and WYP.chat. Your customers see no difference.
Number still in WhatsApp? The tutorial to switch to WhatsApp Business →- Channels, catalog, status, calls and groups, in the app.
- Your contacts and 6 months of one-to-one chats, brought into WYP.chat.
- Replies sent from the phone, shown in WYP.chat and labelled “WhatsApp Business app”.
- Messages sent from the app do not count towards API billing.
- Open the app at least every 14 days, or Meta detaches the number.
- Broadcast lists become read-only.
- Disappearing messages, view-once messages and live location are turned off in one-to-one chats.
- Linked devices are logged out when you connect; WhatsApp for Windows and Wear OS are no longer supported.
- Groups are not brought into WYP.chat.
WhatsApp Business API pricing
Two separate costs. Meta charges some messages directly to your WhatsApp Business account: WYP.chat does not resell them. Your WYP.chat plan is billed separately.
WhatsApp message prices by country →- Messages received
- €0
- Messages from your customers are not charged.
- Free-form replies within 24 hours
- €0
- Up to 1,000 a month per number, then the country’s utility rate.
- After a Click to WhatsApp ad
- €0
- All your messages, templates included, during Meta’s free window (up to 7 days).
- Marketing template (United Kingdom)
- €0.0526
- Per delivered message: promotion, follow-up, invitation.
- Utility template (United Kingdom)
- €0.0182
- Per delivered message: reminder, confirmation. Also charged within the 24-hour window.
- WYP.chat plan
- from €0
- Free plan: 1 number, 50 conversations a month. Solo: €29 a month excl. VAT.
What Meta has to approve
Using the API means following a few Meta rules. WYP.chat makes them visible so nothing takes you by surprise.
- Message templates
- After 24 hours without a message from the customer, only a Meta-approved template can be sent. Each template has a category (marketing, utility, authentication) that sets its price, and review takes up to 24 hours. In WYP.chat you start from a library in English, French and Spanish, submit the template and follow its status, with the reason if it is rejected.
- Display name
- Entered when you connect, it appears on the number’s WhatsApp profile. Meta checks it against its rules, especially when your messaging limit goes up. WYP.chat shows the name and the number’s status.
- Number quality
- Meta rates each number based on how recipients react, such as blocks and reports. Low quality stops your messaging limit from going up. WYP.chat shows the rating and alerts admins when it drops.
- Messaging limit
- Meta limits how many different customers you can message outside the customer service window in a rolling 24 hours. The limit is set for the business portfolio and shared by all its numbers: 250 for a newly created business portfolio, then 2,000, 10,000, 100,000 and unlimited. To reach 2,000: verify your business, have it verified by the partner that onboarded it, or deliver 2,000 messages outside the service window to different numbers within 30 days using high-quality templates. Meta then reviews your quality and approves or declines. After that, the limit rises one level in about 6 hours if quality is good and at least half of it was used over the past 7 days.
Limits to know about
- After 24 hours without a message from the customer, you can no longer write freely: you need an approved template, charged by Meta.
- Groups, channels, status and calls do not go through the API. They stay in the app thanks to coexistence.
- The Cloud API is hosted by Meta: WYP.chat does not choose where Meta processes messages.
- Number already connected to the API with another provider: guided migration is not available yet. Write to us before you start.
- CRM connectors (HubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive) are planned, not available yet.
Start for free
The Free plan includes the API, 1 number and 50 conversations a month, with unlimited users. Campaigns and automated messages are paid in credits (1 credit per recipient, 2 per automated message); Solo (€29 excl. VAT) includes them. Team (€99 excl. VAT) adds 3 numbers and teams.
WhatsApp Business API questions
What is the WhatsApp Business API?
It is Meta’s official way to connect a WhatsApp number to software. Its current version, the Cloud API, is hosted by Meta. It lets a team reply together, automate and send campaigns with approved templates.
Is the WhatsApp Business API free?
Meta charges no subscription for the API: it charges for some delivered messages. Messages received are free, and so are free-form replies within 24 hours, up to 1,000 a month per number. WYP.chat has a free plan with no time limit.
How much does a message cost through the API?
In the UK, Meta charges €0.0526 per delivered marketing template and €0.0182 per delivered utility template. The price depends on the recipient’s country and the template category.
Do I need a developer to use the API?
No. With WYP.chat you connect your number from a Meta window, with your Facebook account (with our team while Meta reviews WYP.chat), then reply in the shared inbox. Nothing to code or host.
Can I keep the WhatsApp Business app on my phone?
Yes, with coexistence: the number stays in the app and joins WYP.chat, with your contacts and 6 months of chats. Open the app at least every 14 days.
Is WYP.chat an official Meta partner?
WYP.chat uses Meta’s official API. Its Tech Provider application is under review; WYP.chat does not hold BSP partner status. Your WhatsApp Business account stays in your name and Meta bills you directly.
Which industries it suits
The industries where this helps most, and why.
-
WhatsApp ordering for wholesalers
WhatsApp catalogue baskets arrive as orders.
-
WhatsApp ordering for restaurants
Orders, summaries and payment links on the restaurant’s number.
-
WhatsApp customer service software
Several WhatsApp numbers and unlimited team members.
-
WhatsApp for online shops
Shipping updates and payment links sent in the conversation.
How to do it in WYP.chat
Help centre articles that walk through each setting, screen by screen.
Read more
Sources
- Meta, Embedded Signup: developers.facebook.com/documentation/business-messaging/whatsapp/embedded-signup/overview
- Meta, coexistence with the WhatsApp Business app: developers.facebook.com/documentation/business-messaging/whatsapp/embedded-signup/onboarding-business-app-users/
- Meta, message templates: developers.facebook.com/documentation/business-messaging/whatsapp/templates/overview
- Meta, messaging limits: developers.facebook.com/documentation/business-messaging/whatsapp/messaging-limits
- Meta, business phone numbers and display names: developers.facebook.com/documentation/business-messaging/whatsapp/business-phone-numbers/phone-numbers
- Meta, platform pricing: developers.facebook.com/documentation/business-messaging/whatsapp/pricing
- WhatsApp, linked devices: faq.whatsapp.com/647349420360876
Pages accessed on 10 October 2026.
Your number moves to the WhatsApp Business API without writing a line of code
While Meta reviews WYP.chat, our team connects your WhatsApp number with you.