Getting WhatsApp Business API approved in Egypt

App or API: which one do you need?

If you only reply to customers by hand, you probably do not need the API. If you send order updates, OTPs or campaigns, or need several people on one number, you do.

• WhatsApp Business app: free, one phone, a few devices, manual replies. Fine for a small shop.
• WhatsApp Business API (Platform): many agents, chatbots, automated notifications, CRM integration, campaigns. Needs a provider or your own integration with Meta's Cloud API ^[1].

Official BSP or direct?

Meta lets businesses integrate directly with its Cloud API ^[1], or use a Business Solution Provider (BSP) that adds an inbox, chatbot builder, support and billing. A BSP is the easier route for non-technical teams. Direct is cheaper in fees but needs developers.

Choose a provider that is an official Meta partner, so your number and account stay in good standing. The list below shows providers that state official partner status.

Official Meta partners

Computed live from our data, including whether each provider adds a markup on Meta's fees and how many days it says it takes to go live.

Step 1. Meta business verification

Meta verifies that your business is real before it lets you scale messaging ^[3]. Start this early, because it is the slowest step.

• Create a Meta Business portfolio with your exact legal business name.
• Have a business website on a domain you control, and a business email on that domain if possible.
• Prepare documents that show the legal name and address, for example the commercial register or tax card. Meta lists the document types it accepts in its help centre ^[3].
• Make sure the name, address and phone number on the documents match what you typed.
• If your request is rejected, read the reason, fix the mismatch and resubmit. Do not open new accounts to get around it.

Step 2. Choose a phone number

• Use a number that can receive a call or SMS for the verification code.
• A number that is already on the WhatsApp app must be removed or migrated first. Ask your provider whether it supports migration.
• Do not use a number you may lose. Customers will recognise it.

Step 3. Display name

The display name is what customers see. Meta reviews it against its guidelines ^[4]. In general it should match your business name or brand, and be recognisable from your website, rather than a generic word or a personal name. Approval of the name is separate from the green tick, which Meta grants at its own discretion and no provider can guarantee.

Step 4. Templates and opt-in

• To message a customer first, or after 24 hours of silence, you need a pre-approved message template.
• Collect opt-in before you send anything promotional, and keep proof of it.
• Write templates in Arabic and English where your customers use both. Keep the variables simple.

How pricing works

Meta charges per message, by message category (such as marketing, utility, authentication and service), with different rates by recipient country ^[2]. Replies inside the customer service window have different rules from templates you send first. Always read the current rate card on Meta's site ^[2], because Meta updates it.

On top of Meta's fee, a BSP may charge a monthly platform fee, per-agent seats, or a markup on Meta's rates. Ask for the markup in writing. Providers below state they add no markup on Meta fees.

Checklist

1. Decide: app or API.
2. Gather the commercial register, tax card, website and a business email on your domain.
3. Shortlist two official partners and ask for the platform fee, the markup, the seat price and the expected days to go live.
4. Start Meta business verification.
5. Prepare the number and the display name.
6. Write three templates: order confirmation, delivery update, and one for support follow-up.
7. Send a test to your team before any customer.

Quick answers

• Can I keep my current WhatsApp Business app number? Only after migrating it. Ask your provider.
• How long does it take? Meta verification is the slow part. Providers state their own go-live days in the list above.
• Is the green tick guaranteed? No. Meta decides, and a provider cannot promise it.
• Can I send promotions to my old customer list? Only if they opted in. Meta can restrict accounts that get complaints.

Questions to ask a provider

1. Do you add a markup on Meta's message fees, and is it shown separately on the invoice?
2. Who owns the WhatsApp Business Account and the number if I leave?
3. What are the seat prices for extra agents?
4. Do you help with business verification and templates, and is that included?