To prevent Spam messaging WhatsApp has created Session & Template Messages in the WhatsApp API product. Anytime you reply to a Customer within 24 hours it is considered a Session Message. Any time you message a Customer more than 24 hours after they message you, it is considered a Template Message.

Template Messages may not be promotional and a Template must be approved by WhatsApp before it can be used to message customers. Once approved you can use it as many times as you like.

Meanwhile, Template Messaging is limited to 50 unique customers in a rolling 24-hour period before Facebook Business Verification and each Template Message is billed at the WhatsApp Standard Rate.

Prices on WhatsApp's end is separate from WABA-API.com and are subjected to change.

A Facebook Business Account, also known as Facebook Business Manager, is the place where a company manages all their Facebook assets including Facebook Ads, Facebook Pixels, Facebook Pages & more. If your company uses any of these tools, it is likely you have an Admin at your company with access to Facebook Business Manager. To complete your WhatsApp API Account - Facebook (WhatsApp is owned by Facebook) will need to verify your Facebook Business Account belongs to a real business.

To do this you will need to go to your Facebook Business Manager, navigate to Business Settings then Business Info. Once you press the Verify button you will need to submit company documents & provide an address. It will take 1 to 3 business days for Facebook to verify your business. We recommend you do this process, before you begin the Sign Up Process above.

WhatsApp verifies companies are using their own brand and are not impersonating any other business. WhatsApp also verifies the company does not operate a line of business which is not allowed by WhatsApp Commerce Policy.

WhatsApp will need to approve your WhatsApp Display Name. To be verified quickly use a Display Name that matches your Legal Business Name or Website branding. Do not use all capitals, extra punctuations, emojis or symbols. Display Name verification will begin once you add & verify a Phone Number to your WABA-API.com WhatsApp API account.

The WhatsApp Commerce Policy prohibits business transactions of illegal products or services. Accounts that do not abide by the policy will not qualify for a WhatsApp Business Account. Although it is possible to appeal WhatsApp's decision, if you fail WhatsApp Commerce Policy verification, the WhatsApp account will not be activated. Commerce Policy verification will begin once you add & verify a Phone Number to your WABA-API.com WhatsApp API account.

Here are examples of businesses that are not allowed by WhatsApp Commerce Policy. Companies that sell drugs (prescription or otherwise), tobacco, alcohol, unsafe ingestible supplements, weapons, ammunition, explosives, animals, adult products or services, body parts or fluids, medical or healthcare products, real money gambling and dating services.

Keep in mind if your brand is involved in any of the above businesses, your brand can still get a WhatsApp API account. However, you will not be allowed to use your WhatsApp API account to trade in these items. You may be required to explain how you will be using the account in your appeal.

To use this WhatsApp API account, you will need to add a phone number you control. It is best to use your company phone number. However, you cannot use a phone number that is currently in use with a WhatsApp or WhatsApp Business App account.

If the phone number is already in use with a WhatsApp or WhatsApp Business App account, you can still use it. However, you will need to delete your WhatsApp or WhatsApp Business App account before attempting the SMS or Voice Call verification. If you do not delete the account, the SMS or Phone Verification will fail.

Deleting the account will cause downtime and you will not receive your Customer messages until you connect to respond.io. To delete the WhatsApp or WhatsApp Business App account open the WhatsApp account and go to Settings > Account > Delete Account.

Keep in mind, deleting the WhatsApp or WhatsApp Business App account will cause you to lose your Contacts & Messages. You can avoid this by using a number that is not currently associated with a WhatsApp or WhatsApp Business App account.

After signing up, your account will enter Unverified Trial Experience and a confirmation email will be sent to you.

All accounts under the Trial Experience will have access to the following features:

*Unlimited customer-initiated conversations (24-hour messaging windows)

*Ability to send template messages/notifications to 50 unique customers in a rolling 24-hour period

*Ability to register up to two (2) phone numbers, which can both be assigned to 1 WABA or split between 2 WABAs

During this stage, WhatsApp will also commence the Display Name and Commerce Policy Checks and businesses have to pass both checks for their account to be live. It can take up to 48 hours for the checks to complete.

Accounts that fail either checks can opt to appeal for a reevaluation or alternatively request to revert the number back to a non-API number.

Upon passing the checks, your account goes live. You can choose to remain in Trial Experience with limited messaging access or increase your Template Messaging capacity to the Standard Limit by verifying your Facebook Business Account.