WhatsApp Business API

Programmatic version of WhatsApp for large volumes via authorized BSP.

A WhatsApp Business API is the programmatic version of WhatsApp, created by Meta for companies that send messages on an industrial scale. Unlike the regular app or Multi-Device WhatsApp, the API requires Meta approval, a BSP intermediary, and charges per conversation initiated.

Who needs the official API

Companies with volume above 10 thousand conversations/month.
Multi-country operation with the need for local numbers per region.
Who needs to send messages outside the 24-hour window (via HSM templates).
Teams of 10+ agents that require granular licensing.
Companies with native enterprise integration (Salesforce, ServiceNow).

Who DOES NOT need it

Brazilian SME with 1-4 agents on the same number (extension for WhatsApp Web resolves).
Monthly volume below a few thousand conversations (cost per API message swallows margin).
Operation that wants to maintain the same number that customers already know (API requests new number).

How the cost works

Meta charges for conversation started (not by message) — a 24-hour window between first and last exchange. Conversations initiated by the company (HSM template) cost more; customer-initiated costs less. Prices vary by country: Brazil ~R$ 0.30-0.80 per conversation. Add BSP monthly fee (R$200-2,000) and template setup.

API vs WhatsApp Web (Zapext)

API is industrial, WhatsApp Web is artisanal. For most Brazilian SMEs (up to a few thousand conversations/month), extension such as Zapext on top of WhatsApp Web delivers the same practical result at no cost per message and without template approval. When you pass the ceiling, migrate to API.

See: BSP and HSM.