01The four parts of the bill
Quotes are hard to compare because vendors bundle these parts differently. Ask for each part to be shown on its own.
Message charges
- Who it is paid to
- Meta, usually passed through at cost or with a margin
- What moves it
- The kind of message (for example marketing or utility), the country of the customer, and how many you send
Platform or provider fee
- Who it is paid to
- A provider that gives you access to the API and an inbox
- What moves it
- The number of agents, features and the pricing plan
Build and integration
- Who it is paid to
- The team that designs your flows
- What moves it
- How many flows, how many systems connect, and whether AI answers are needed
Support and improvement
- Who it is paid to
- The team that looks after it
- What moves it
- How often you want flows reviewed and changed
02Message charges: what to know
Meta sets the price of messages on the official WhatsApp Business Platform, and the rates differ by message type and by country. They are updated from time to time, so any number in a blog post can be out of date. Check Meta's current rate card, and ask your vendor whether they pass charges through at cost or add a margin.
- Business-started messages use approved templates, and they are the ones that are charged.
- Replies inside the customer's open conversation window are treated differently from business-started messages, so the mix of your traffic changes the bill.
- Only message people who opted in. Unwanted broadcasts lead to blocks and a poor quality rating, which costs more than any message fee.
03Build cost: where quotes differ most
A simple menu bot is a small job. A flow that checks orders in your system, books appointments, takes payments and hands over to an agent is a larger one. The factors below explain most of the gap between quotes.
Number of flows
- Keeps it lower
- A few common questions
- Pushes it higher
- Orders, bookings, payments, support and sales flows
Integrations
- Keeps it lower
- None, or a spreadsheet
- Pushes it higher
- A CRM, billing, a calendar and your own database
Languages
- Keeps it lower
- One language
- Pushes it higher
- English, Hindi, Gujarati and others
AI answers
- Keeps it lower
- A fixed menu
- Pushes it higher
- An assistant that answers from your own documents, with guardrails
Agent hand-over
- Keeps it lower
- Notify one phone
- Pushes it higher
- A shared inbox with routing and chat history
04Why the WhatsApp Business app is not the same thing
The free WhatsApp Business app runs on one phone. It is fine for a very small business answering by hand. The API is what lets software send and receive messages, so it is the basis for chatbots, reminders, CRM links and several agents on one number.
05How to compare quotes
- Ask which platform is used. It should be the official WhatsApp Business Platform, not an unofficial shortcut that can get a number blocked.
- Ask who owns the business account, the flows and the data. It should be you.
- Ask how opt-in is recorded and how templates are written and submitted.
- Ask what happens when the bot cannot answer. A person should be able to take over, with the chat history.
- Ask for the build and the monthly costs separately, and for what is included in support.
?Frequently asked questions
How much does the WhatsApp Business API cost?
It depends on four parts: Meta's message charges, a provider fee if you use one, the one-off build, and ongoing support. We do not publish rate cards. After a free call you get a written sketch of the flows and a fixed-scope quote.
Who sets the price of WhatsApp messages?
Meta. Rates differ by message type and country and change from time to time, so check Meta's current rate card.
Do I need a provider as well as a developer?
Often a provider gives you access to the API and an inbox, and a developer builds the flows and connects your systems. Some setups connect directly to Meta's Cloud API. We recommend the simplest setup that fits your volume.
Is the WhatsApp Business app enough?
For one person answering by hand, yes. For automation, reminders, CRM links or several agents, you need the Business Platform (API).
Can I send messages to anyone?
No. You should message only people who agreed to receive messages, and business-started messages use approved templates.
Who owns the account and the flows?
You should. With MOUNTSMY the business account, flows and data stay in your name.