WhatsApp Business API in the UK: what it is and how to get it

The WhatsApp Business API (Meta now calls it the WhatsApp Business Platform) lets a UK business send WhatsApp messages from software, not from a phone. To get it you need a Meta business portfolio, a number you own, and either your own developer or a provider. The API is free to connect. Meta charges per message.

For a takeaway, that means order confirmations, "your food is ready" alerts and offers go out on their own, from your own number. No one has to type them during the Friday rush.

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What is the WhatsApp Business API?

It is Meta's official way for businesses to connect WhatsApp to their own systems. Your ordering system, CRM or chatbot talks to WhatsApp through it.

There are three WhatsApp products for businesses:

When people say "WhatsApp Business API" or "WhatsApp Business Cloud", they mean the Cloud API. Meta hosts it. You don't run any servers.

WhatsApp Business app vs API: which do you need?

The free app is fine when one person answers a few chats a day. It starts to creak once orders pile up.

Rule of thumb: if you send the same message more than 20 times a day, such as "order accepted" or "out for delivery", you'll save time on the API. Read more in our WhatsApp Business app vs API guide.

What you need to get the WhatsApp Business API in the UK

Check these five things before you start.

1. A Meta business portfolio

This used to be called Business Manager. It is the "home" for your WhatsApp Business account. You can create one free at business.facebook.com. Use your trading name and real address. More detail: do I need a Meta business portfolio?

2. A phone number you own

Meta's rules say the number must:

• be owned by you
• have a country and area code (no short codes)
• be able to get a voice call or SMS for the one-time code

It can't be live on the normal WhatsApp app at the same time, unless you delete that account first or your provider supports "coexistence" (see below).

3. Can I use a UK landline?

Yes. Meta lists fixed lines as fine for voice codes, but not recommended for SMS codes. So pick "call me" when you verify. Before you do:

• turn off call forwarding
• turn off any "press 1 for…" menu (IVR)
• make sure someone can answer the call

Freephone (0800) and VoIP numbers can also work by voice code, per Meta's table. Shared-cost numbers are not recommended. See our full guide: can I use a landline on WhatsApp Business?

4. A display name that matches your business

This is the name customers see. It must have a clear link to your business's legal name and match your shop sign or website. Meta reviews it against its display name rules. A name like "Luigi's Pizza Leeds" fits them. Generic or promotional names, such as "Pizza" or "Luigi's – 20% off", aren't accepted, and neither are "Official", "Verified" or "WhatsApp" in the name.

5. A payment method (and, ideally, business verification)

• Payment: Meta bills per message. With most setups you add a card to your WhatsApp Business account.
• Verification: new accounts can start conversations with 250 unique customers in a rolling 24 hours. Verify your business (or reach 2,000 good-quality messages in 30 days) and the limit rises to 2,000. After that it grows on its own to 10,000, 100,000 and unlimited if you use at least half of your limit with good quality. Replies to customers who message you first don't count towards this limit. Learn more about daily messaging limits.

For verification, Meta asks for official documents that show your legal business name and your address or phone number. Accepted types include a certificate of incorporation, a business registration or licence, a government-issued business tax document or a business bank statement. A utility bill only proves your address and phone number, not your name. You may also need to prove you own your website's domain.

Can I keep using the WhatsApp Business app on the same number?

Sometimes. Meta has a feature called coexistence. It lets a provider connect your existing WhatsApp Business app number to the API. You keep chatting from the app, and your chats sync.

There are trade-offs:

• app version 2.24.17 or newer is needed
• broadcast lists in the app become read-only
• disappearing messages and live location are switched off
• group chats don't sync

Not every provider supports it, so ask first. Menuthere does: you can link the number you already run on the WhatsApp Business app, where Meta offers that route. Our guide on moving your app number to the API covers your options.

How to get the WhatsApp Business API: direct vs provider

There are two routes. Most restaurants should take the second.

Route 1: go direct to Meta (Cloud API)

You make a Meta developer app, add WhatsApp, and connect your number. Then you build everything yourself: the inbox, the order updates, the templates, the webhooks.

• Good for: businesses with their own developers.
• Cost: only Meta's per-message fees, plus your developer's time.
• Catch: you get an API, not a product. There's no inbox until you build one.

Route 2: use a provider (BSP or Tech Provider)

A provider gives you a dashboard on top of the API. You sign up through a short Meta pop-up called Embedded Signup. It creates your WhatsApp Business account and links your number in one go.

Meta has two main kinds of provider:

So when you compare the best WhatsApp Business API provider for you, ask two questions. Who bills the message fees? And is there a markup? Our guide to what a WhatsApp Business Solution Provider is goes deeper.

Steps to go live (with a provider)

1. Create or log in to your Meta business portfolio.
2. Pick a provider and start their Embedded Signup.
3. Enter your number and confirm it with the voice or SMS code.
4. Set your display name and business profile (address, hours, website).
5. Add a payment method in WhatsApp Manager if your provider asks.
6. Get your message templates approved (order updates, offers).
7. Send a test order to your own phone.
8. Start business verification so your daily limit can grow.

How much does the WhatsApp Business API cost in the UK?

The API itself has no Meta sign-up or monthly fee. You pay Meta for each message it delivers. Rates depend on the message type and the customer's country code, not yours.

UK rates in Meta's rate cards (effective 1 July 2026):

Big change from 1 October 2026: Meta's documentation says service replies, and utility updates sent inside the 24-hour window, are now charged. They used to be free. Each number still gets its first 1,000 service messages a month free; after that, each reply costs £0.0159 to a UK number. The 24-hour customer service window opens each time a customer messages you, and replies to chats that start from a click-to-WhatsApp ad stay free for 72 hours.

On top of Meta's fees, your provider may charge a subscription or a markup. For full UK figures, the £ rate card and worked monthly examples, see WhatsApp Business API pricing in the UK. Or plug your own numbers into the WhatsApp cost calculator.

Is the WhatsApp Business API free? Connecting is free. Messages customers send you are free. Most messages you send now cost a few pence or less.

UK GDPR and PECR: consent basics

This is not legal advice. But get these basics right and you'll stay on the safe side of the ICO and of Meta.

• Order updates are not marketing. "Your order is ready" is part of the service the customer asked for. Your lawful basis is usually the contract. Keep these messages free of offers: an update with a promotion added may be treated as marketing.
• Offers are marketing. Under PECR, the ICO treats "electronic mail" broadly. It names texts and direct messages on social media. Assume WhatsApp offers are covered.
• You need consent, or the "soft opt-in". Soft opt-in only works when the person bought (or asked about buying) from you, the offer is for similar food, and you gave them an easy opt-out when you took their number and in every message.
• Meta also wants opt-in. WhatsApp's Business Messaging Policy says you may only contact people who gave you their number and opted in to hear from you. You must also respect every request to stop, on or off WhatsApp.
• Honour "STOP" fast. Add an opt-out line to every offer, and keep a do-not-contact list.

Bought-in phone lists are a no. They fail both PECR and Meta's rules. Read the full guide: WhatsApp marketing under UK GDPR and PECR.

Why UK restaurants and takeaways use the WhatsApp Business API

Most of your regulars already have WhatsApp. The API turns that into an ordering channel you own.

• Ordering without an app. The customer sends "Hi" and gets an Order Now button. It opens your menu in one tap, no login.
• Automatic order updates. Placed (with the bill), accepted, ready, out for delivery (with a live tracking link), completed. No staff typing.
• One shared inbox. Front of house and the kitchen see the same chats.
• Offers that get read. Broadcast to customers who opted in, for quiet Tuesdays or match nights.
• No commission. An order through your own channel doesn't pay a delivery app's commission, such as Uber Eats' 13–33% plus VAT (see Uber Eats commission in the UK).

How Menuthere gives you the WhatsApp Business API (Pro)

Menuthere is an official Meta Tech Provider, built on the official WhatsApp Business Platform. You connect your own number through Meta's Embedded Signup. There's no code to write.

What you get on Menuthere Pro:

• "Hi" → Order Now button → one-tap menu link (valid 23 hours, locked to the first person who opens it)
• automatic WhatsApp order updates, including live delivery tracking
• shared inbox for your team
• no-code flow builder
• broadcasts to opted-in customers
• loyalty points and your own riders app

Price: Pro is US$39 a month (billed in US dollars; your bank converts it). Meta charges for messages separately, at its own rates, and bills your own WhatsApp Business account directly. Menuthere adds no markup to Meta's message fees and takes no commission on your orders.

Not ready for the API? Start on the Free plan with an ordering website, QR codes and 0% commission. Upgrade when WhatsApp orders take off. Compare plans on the pricing page.

Then switch on WhatsApp ordering with when you're ready.

Create your free ordering pageProBook a demo (opens in a new tab)

Checklist: before you apply

• Meta business portfolio created, in your trading name
• Number chosen (mobile, or a landline that can take a voice call)
• Number removed from the normal WhatsApp app, or coexistence confirmed with your provider
• Display name matches your shop sign or website
• Business documents ready for verification
• Card ready for Meta's message fees
• Opt-in wording added to your website, receipts and menu
• Order update and offer templates drafted