SMSAlert
2 bln+
active WhatsApp users
95%+
message open rate
~3min
avg. time to read
€0.004
SMSAlert fee/msg + Meta fee

Verified Meta Tech Partner

The complex infrastructure is already built.
You just use the API.

Accessing WhatsApp Business API requires a strict onboarding process with Meta, deep technical integration, connection maintenance, template management and ongoing compliance with Meta policies. SMSAlert has completed all these steps as a certified tech partner.

You don't interact directly with the Meta API — you send through the unified SMSAlert API, the same endpoint you already use for SMS or push. Routing, Meta authentication, retries and SMS fallback are handled automatically.

Meta onboarding included Template approval Unified API Automatic SMS fallback Automatic retries Meta compliance
What happens when you send a message
🧑‍💻
Your Application
A simple HTTP call to the unified SMSAlert API
You
⚙️
SMSAlert — Meta Tech Partner
Routing, authentication, template management, retries, fallback channel
Us
WABA Management Template approval Rate limiting Webhook delivery Fallback SMS
🌐
Meta / WhatsApp Infrastructure
Delivery to recipient's device
Meta
✓ Message delivered · read status · webhook sent back to you

Understand the difference

WhatsApp, WhatsApp Business, WhatsApp Business API — what's the difference?

Many confuse the three. They are different products for different needs.

💬

WhatsApp (personal)

The app we all use. 1-to-1 conversations with friends and family. Cannot be integrated into business systems.

🏪

WhatsApp Business (app)

App for SMBs. You send manually from your phone. Good for small volumes, but does not integrate with your CRM or systems.

What we offer

WhatsApp Business API

The interface for companies that want to automatically send thousands of messages — from CRM, app, e-commerce or any system. Requires integration and Meta approval. Exactly what SMSAlert does for you.


Message types

What you can send via WhatsApp Business API

Meta classifies messages into three categories — each with its own pricing and approval rules.

📦
Utility

Transactional Notifications

Messages related to an action the customer has already taken or is expecting.

  • ✓ Order and delivery confirmation
  • ✓ Payment and invoice notifications
  • ✓ Shipping status updates
  • ✓ Appointment reminders
🔐
Authentication

Verification Codes (OTP)

Security messages with one-time codes for identity confirmation.

  • ✓ Two-factor authentication (2FA)
  • ✓ New account verification
  • ✓ Password reset
  • ✓ Bank transaction confirmation
📣
Marketing

Campaigns & Promotions

Promotional messages sent to customers who have consented to receive communications.

  • ✓ Personalized offers and discounts
  • ✓ Product launches
  • ✓ Re-engage inactive customers
  • ✓ Rich-media newsletter (images, buttons)

Anti-spam by design

What are templates and why do they exist?

WhatsApp does not allow companies to send any message at any time — just like email marketing, where you need consent. Templates are pre-approved messages by Meta, which guarantee that users receive only relevant and expected messages.

In practice: you create a template, SMSAlert submits it to Meta for approval, and within a few hours you can use that format with each customer's dynamic data (name, order number, OTP code, etc.).

Fast approval — usually a few hours, not days
Dynamic variables — 1 2 for names, amounts, codes, etc.
Action buttons — “Track order”, “Cancel”, “Call now”
Images and documents — product photos, invoice PDF, video
Automatic conversion — SMSAlert converts your message into template format
Your Company Ltd
Approved template · Utility
📦 Order Confirmation
Hello, 1! Your order #2 has been confirmed and will be delivered in 3 business days.

Total due: 4 EUR.
Track your package at: 5
🔗 Track package 📞 Contact us
14:22
Meta approved template · dynamic variables active

Free conversations

Customer writes to you — you have 24h to reply freely

When a customer sends you the first message on WhatsApp, a 24-hour service window opens in which you can reply with any text, without needing a pre-approved template and without additional cost per message.

In practice: if a customer asks something, your team can have a natural conversation with them for 24h — just like on regular WhatsApp, but everything visible in the SMSAlert inbox, assigned to the right agent, with full history.

Response window 18:34:22 remaining
Message received from customer Window closed → template
Natural conversation, no template needed
In the 24h window you can write anything — personalized replies, clarifying questions, full support.
👥
The whole team replies from one inbox
Conversations arrive in SMSAlert CRM Chat, automatically assigned. Any agent sees the full history.
Window expired? Resume with a template
If 24h pass without a reply from you, the next message must be an approved template — to comply with Meta's anti-spam rules.

Why WhatsApp beats email and SMS in engagement

The numbers speak for themselves.

SMS
Email
Open rate
95%+
~90%
~20%
Avg. time to read
~3 minute
~5 minute
~90 minute
Images, buttons, PDF
Two-way conversation
Partial
Built-in anti-spam filter
via Meta template
Complex
Cost per message
€0.004SMSAlert fee + variable Meta fee/type+country
€0.04–0.08
~€0.001
SMSAlert automatic fallback
→ SMS if WA fails
primary channel

Simple integration

From zero to your first automated WhatsApp message

SMSAlert manages the entire relationship with Meta on your behalf — onboarding, business number verification, template approval. You get an API key and send messages from day 1.

Get started →
1

Create your SMSAlert account and activate WhatsApp

Fill in your company details and the phone number dedicated to WhatsApp. We handle the Meta verification process on your behalf.

2

Create and submit templates for approval

From the SMSAlert dashboard you create the templates you need. We submit them to Meta and notify you when approved — usually within a few hours.

3

Integrate the API into your system

Same endpoint as for SMS. Just add

4

Track deliveries and conversations

Every message has a real-time status (sent, delivered, read). Customer replies appear in the CRM Chat inbox, ready to be handled by your team.


Zero messages lost

No WhatsApp? You get SMS. Automatically.

Not all your customers have WhatsApp installed or their phone number linked to an active account. SMSAlert detects this in real time and delivers the message via SMS without you doing anything.

1. Try WhatsApp Business API €0.004 + Meta fee
↓ if no active WA account / template failed
2. Fallback SMS via carrier guaranteed delivery

Configurable rules: you choose when and how the fallback kicks in.

Maximum delivery rate
The message is guaranteed to reach the customer — via WhatsApp if possible, via SMS if not.
💡
Automatically optimized cost
WhatsApp is cheaper than SMS. The platform prioritizes WhatsApp and falls back to SMS only when needed.
One API for both
You don't manage two separate integrations. Everything goes through the same endpoint, with the same response format.

Final cost = SMSAlert fee + Meta fee

WhatsApp Business API involves two independent cost components. The SMSAlert fee is fixed; the Meta fee varies based on message type and recipient's country.

SMSAlert platform fee
€0.004
per message sent — fixed, regardless of country or type

Available from the Pay As You Go plan
Templates included, no extra cost
SMS fallback at standard cost
Delivery status (sent / delivered / read)
Real-time webhooks
Activate WhatsApp API

No minimum subscription. Pay only what you use.

Meta fee (WhatsApp)
Variable
per conversation type + recipient's country

📦
Utility
Transactional notifications, deliveries, order confirmation. Most affordable.
🔐
Authentication
OTP, verification codes, two-factor authentication.
📣
Marketing
Promotional campaigns, offers, customer re-engagement. Highest cost.
View Meta rates by country

Meta fees are billed separately, directly to your Meta Business account.

Large volume? Let's talk.

For volumes over 100,000 messages/month we offer negotiated rates on the SMSAlert fee and assistance in optimizing Meta conversation types.


Frequently asked questions about WhatsApp Business API

Have another question? Write to us directly.

Yes, with one condition: the number must not already be registered on a personal WhatsApp or WhatsApp Business app. If it is, you need to deactivate it there first. We recommend a dedicated business number — usually a new number or a landline with a mobile prefix.

Usually 1–3 business days for Meta business account verification and number activation. Individual templates are typically approved within a few hours. SMSAlert manages the entire process — you provide your company details and we do the rest.

No. WhatsApp Business API strictly complies with Meta's anti-spam rules — customers must have explicitly consented to receive marketing messages from you (opt-in). Utility and authentication messages are more permissive, but they also must be tied to a previous interaction with the customer. These rules protect both users and sender reputation.

If you have enabled SMS fallback in SMSAlert's routing rules, the platform automatically sends the SMS as an alternative. If you don't have a fallback configured, you receive a webhook with the failure status and can handle the situation manually. We always recommend an active fallback for critical messages (OTP, confirmations).

Almost none. Just add a "channel": "whatsapp" field in the request and, optionally, the template ID. The rest — authentication, endpoint, response format, webhooks — stays identical. You can test on a single message type and gradually expand.

Yes. WhatsApp Business API provides granular statuses: sent (reached Meta servers), delivered (reached customer's phone) and read (customer opened the message — blue ticks). All these statuses are available via real-time webhook and visible in the SMSAlert dashboard.

Official Meta Partner · platform fee €0.004/msg + Meta fee · SMS fallback included

Your customers are on WhatsApp.
Your messages should be there too.

Activate WhatsApp Business API through SMSAlert in a few days and start sending notifications that customers actually open.

No minimum subscription. Pay per message sent. Active in 1–3 days.

📖
Blog article
WhatsApp Business API via SMSAlert — secure, scalable business messaging without spam
Complete guide: why templates exist, how conversations work and how to optimize costs.