Guide
WhatsApp Business solutions for companies: App, API and partners
A company can run WhatsApp Business four ways, and they differ mainly in who sets it up. For each route this guide covers what you do, what it costs and what it needs from you.
Why WhatsApp matters to your customers
In a 2022 survey of 1,220 Saudi adults, 92% said they use WhatsApp. The survey was run by the Saudi Center for Public Opinion Polling and reported by Arab News, so if you sell in Saudi Arabia your customers are already there. The API lets your own software or an AI assistant send and read messages, which is what makes automation and system connections possible.
Key Capabilities
- Send and receive messages at scale with official API
- Automate responses with AI agents and chatbots
- Integrate with CRM, POS, and support systems
- Send rich media: images, documents, locations, buttons
- Track delivery and read receipts for accountability
App, API, partner or agency: who sets it up
You, in the app. You install the free WhatsApp Business app and reply by hand. Our guide to the WhatsApp Business API versus the app covers the differences, how to get access and how to keep your number.
Your developers, on the Cloud API.You create a Meta business portfolio, set up the Cloud API directly with Meta, and your developers build the connection to your systems. You pay Meta's per-message charges plus your developers' time. You need a number you own that can receive an SMS or call for the code, message templates that Meta approves, and a clear list of systems to connect.
A Meta partner.Meta calls these Solution Partners or Tech Providers. The partner signs you up through a ready-made flow and handles the setup, and some Solution Partners can bill you directly. Its fees come on top of Meta's per-message charges, so ask what it adds. You choose the partner and give it your business details and a number you own.
An agency such as BottleTech.We build and run the setup for you: the conversations, the connection to your CRM, booking or accounting system, and the handover to your staff. You pay our project fee plus Meta's per-message charges. We need your time to agree who takes over which chat and when. A first working system takes about six weeks for a defined scope.
What Meta charges
Every route that uses the API pays Meta's per-message charges. To see what Meta will charge you in SAR, AED or JOD, use our WhatsApp Business API pricing calculator.