Prerequisites for integrating WhatsApp with Plivo for messaging

You must meet several prerequisites before you can integrate WhatsApp with Plivo and start using our Messaging API.

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Request access to WhatsApp

WhatsApp is not enabled by default. Access is provisioned through our sales team and requires a Minimum Monthly Commitment (MMC) of USD 1,000/month in the US data region, or ₹1,00,000/month in the India data region. The MMC is a monthly spend commitment across all Plivo products, excluding pass-through fees such as carrier surcharges. It is not a setup or connection fee — standard per-message and other usage charges continue to apply, and if your total usage falls below the committed amount, the MMC becomes the minimum billable amount for that month. Request access →

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Meta Business Suite

You must have an active Meta Business Suite account to engage with Meta’s products, including WhatsApp. If you don’t have one yet, set one up through Meta Business Suite [Recommended method] or using the embedded signup in the Plivo console — learn how in our guide. We also strongly recommend that you verify your business details with Meta to improve the chances that your WhatsApp Business Account (WABA) is approved and to get higher messaging limits.

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Admin rights

You must have access to the credentials of a Meta account that’s also an admin user in your Meta Business Account.

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WhatsApp Business Account (WABA)

You need an active WABA that is mapped to Plivo to start sending messages. Use the embedded signup flow in the Plivo Console to create a new WABA. You will need to register a business phone number under this WABA as a part of the embedded signup flow.

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Business Phone number

Register a business phone number to your WABA during the embedded signup flow in Plivo’s console. The phone number that you wish to register should be able to receive a one-time password (OTP) sent via text message or a voice call. If you have registered this number with a different WhatsApp solution provider, you can migrate that number under the new WABA you create with Plivo. Detailed requirements for this migration are listed here. Your business phone number will be used to send messages to your customers and will be visible to them on WhatsApp. You can rent a phone number from Plivo (in the countries where Plivo offers this option) or you can bring your own number. For more information, visit Meta’s guidelines for business phone numbers.

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Templates

Outbound Application-to-peer (A2P) messages can only be initiated using specific templates. You will need to get your template approved before you can send your first outbound A2P message. Follow our guide to draft templates and adhere to WhatsApp’s messaging guidelines.

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Compliance

Review the terms of WhatsApp’s Business Policy, Commerce Policy, and other relevant guidelines. Review Plivo’s acceptable use policy (AUP). Once you’ve completed these prerequisites, you can begin using Plivo’s Messaging API with WhatsApp.