WhatsApp AI chatbot for business
The Business Platform, Meta’s 2026 AI rules, the 24-hour window, costs and Malta examples.
Systems & automation · WhatsApp
WhatsApp Business API
in Malta: access and costs.
The WhatsApp Business API, now called the WhatsApp Business Platform, connects WhatsApp to your own software. That is what lets a chatbot, a booking system or a CRM send and answer messages. In Malta you get it straight from Meta or through an approved partner. Meta charges per message, and messages customers send you are free. Malta Digital sets it up and builds the WhatsApp chatbot on top.
1,000 freeservice messages per number, every month
Short answer
The WhatsApp Business API, now the WhatsApp Business Platform, connects WhatsApp to your own software. In Malta you get it directly from Meta or through an approved partner. Meta charges per message delivered, by type and country, and each number gets 1,000 free service messages a month. Malta Digital sets it up and builds the WhatsApp chatbot for Malta businesses on top, as part of our AI automation in Malta.
Key takeaways
- Is the WhatsApp Business API free? Access is free if you connect directly through Meta’s Cloud API, but Meta charges per message delivered. Partners usually add their own fees.
- How do I get the WhatsApp Business API in Malta? Either directly from Meta with a developer, or through an approved Business Solution Provider. You need a business portfolio, a phone number you control and a payment method.
- How much does a WhatsApp message cost? It depends on the type of message and the customer’s country code. Meta publishes the rates in its rate cards. Messages customers send you are free.
The short answer
App or API: what is the difference?
Most small businesses in Malta start with the free WhatsApp Business app. It is a phone app with a business profile, quick replies and greeting and away messages. A person still reads and answers every chat.
The API is different. It is not an app you download. It is a way for software to send and receive WhatsApp messages for your business number. Meta now calls it the WhatsApp Business Platform. You need it when you want a chatbot to answer, a booking system to send reminders, or a CRM to save every chat.
| WhatsApp Business app | Business Platform (API) | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A free app you use on your phone | A connection between WhatsApp and your own software |
| Cost from Meta | Free | Per message delivered, by type and country |
| Automation | Greeting and away messages, quick replies | Chatbots, booking flows, reminders, CRM updates |
| Who replies | You or your staff, by hand | Your system, a chatbot and your staff together |
| Messages after 24 hours | Normal chat | Approved templates only |
| Good for | A few chats a day | Many chats, bookings and reminders |
If you get a few chats a day, the app is usually enough. Our guide to WhatsApp automation shows what the app can do on its own.
Two ways in
How to get the API in Malta.
There is no Malta-only route. Businesses here use the same two ways in as everywhere else. We checked both on Meta’s WhatsApp Business Platform FAQ on 2 November 2026.
1. Directly from Meta. You use Meta’s Cloud API yourself. Meta does not charge a fee to access the platform directly. But you need a developer to connect it, handle webhooks and keep it running.
2. Through a Business Solution Provider. An approved partner connects your number and gives you their software, such as a shared inbox or a chatbot builder. Partners usually charge their own fees on top of Meta’s message fees. Ask for both in writing.
Either way, the messages run on Meta’s official platform. Avoid unofficial tools that copy WhatsApp Web or automate the normal app. They break WhatsApp’s terms, and the number can be banned.
Before you start
What you need before you apply.
Get these ready first. It saves days of back-and-forth during setup.
- A Meta business portfolio in your business’s name, not a staff member’s personal account.
- A phone number you control, with access to the SMS or call that verifies it. Check during setup whether the number can stay on the Business app too.
- A display name that matches your business, so Meta approves it.
- A payment method: a card, or a credit line for large senders.
- An opt-in method, such as a tick box on your website form, so you can prove people agreed to hear from you.
- A privacy notice that says you use WhatsApp, what you keep and for how long.
Meta may ask you to verify your business before you can send more messages. Keep your company or self-employed registration details close.
How Meta charges
What Meta charges, checked today.
We read Meta’s pricing documentation on 2 November 2026. It reflects the changes that took effect on 1 October 2026. Here is what it says, in plain words.
Meta charges per message, and only when it is delivered. This has been the model since 1 July 2025. The price depends on two things: the type of message and the country code of the customer’s number. Messages customers send you are free.
There are five types. Marketing covers offers and news. Utility covers reminders, confirmations and order updates. Authentication covers login codes. Service covers your replies inside the 24-hour window. The fifth covers replies from Meta’s own business AI agent.
Two things are free. Each business phone number gets 1,000 free service messages a month, which reset monthly and do not roll over. And when a chat starts from a Click to WhatsApp ad, it opens a free entry point window. Your marketing, utility, authentication and service messages in that window are not charged.
Meta publishes the exact rates in its rate cards, by market, and updates them on a published calendar. Utility and authentication messages also have volume tiers, so big senders pay less per message. We do not copy the rates here, because they change. Check the current rate card before you plan a budget.
Cost estimator
Estimate your monthly Meta bill.
Type in how many messages you send in a month and the rates from Meta’s rate card. The estimator takes off the 1,000 free service messages for each number. It uses only your numbers, on your device.
WhatsApp message cost estimator
Copy the rates for your customers’ country from Meta’s rate card, then add your monthly message counts. Worked out on your device. Nothing is sent anywhere.
Your monthly estimate
This estimator needs JavaScript. By hand: (service replies − 1,000 per number) × service rate + utility × utility rate + marketing × marketing rate.
The sum is simple, so you can check it by hand. Charged service messages are your service replies minus 1,000 for each number. Multiply each type by its rate and add them up. Leave out messages in a free entry point window.
Not sure whether you need the API at all?
Apply now and tell us how many WhatsApp chats you get and what you want automated. We’ll tell you honestly whether the free app is enough.
Worked example
A worked example, with made-up numbers.
This is an example, not a client. A clinic uses one WhatsApp number. In a month its chatbot and staff send 1,400 service replies. It also sends 600 appointment reminders, which are utility templates. It sends no marketing.
Service: 1,400 replies minus 1,000 free leaves 400 charged service messages. Utility: all 600 reminders are charged at the utility rate. So the clinic pays for 1,000 messages, not 2,000. Two changes would cut that further. Some patients reply to a reminder, which opens a 24-hour window for questions. And patients who come from a Click to WhatsApp ad start in a free window.
Want us to work out your WhatsApp costs with you? Apply now for WhatsApp setup
The rules
Rules that keep your number safe.
WhatsApp’s Business Messaging Policy was last updated on 23 September 2026. Three rules matter most for a business in Malta.
Opt-in first. You may only message people who gave you their number and agreed to hear from you on WhatsApp. You decide how to collect that, and it must meet the law.
The 24-hour window. When a customer writes, you can reply freely for 24 hours. After that, you can only send approved message templates.
A way to reach a person. You may use automation inside the window. But there must be a prompt, clear and direct path to a person, such as an in-chat transfer, a phone number or email.
Two more apply to chatbots. Since 15 January 2026, Meta’s terms restrict AI providers from offering general-purpose assistants on the platform. A business using AI to serve its own customers is a different case. And under the EU AI Act, people should be told when they talk to AI, from 2 August 2026.
Personal data in chats falls under GDPR, and Malta’s regulator is the IDPC. Our guide to CRM and GDPR covers consent fields and retention.
Proof
One record for every chat.
The API matters most when chats feed into a system. One agency we built for ran its work across messages, spreadsheets and email. Nothing showed the office what needed attention first.
We built one platform with three parts: a command centre for the office, a portal for nannies and a booking app for parents. Every booking, nanny and parent now has one record. It is a new system, so the case study shows what we built and how it works, not results.
Beyond Meta
Other costs, and what we charge.
Meta’s message fees are only one part. A partner may charge a monthly software fee. An AI chatbot has usage costs from the AI provider. And someone has to build and look after the connection to your booking system or CRM.
At Malta Digital we price WhatsApp chatbots per project after scoping. When the chatbot is part of a custom booking system or CRM, custom systems start from €7,500. Meta’s fees are paid to Meta directly. A larger project may be part-funded through the AI grant.
A few straight answers
What you might be wondering.
Is the WhatsApp Business API free?
Access is free if you connect directly through Meta’s Cloud API, but Meta charges per message delivered. Partners usually add their own fees.
How do I get the WhatsApp Business API in Malta?
Either directly from Meta with a developer, or through an approved Business Solution Provider. You need a business portfolio, a phone number you control and a payment method.
How much does a WhatsApp message cost?
It depends on the type of message and the customer’s country code. Meta publishes the rates in its rate cards. Messages customers send you are free.
Are service messages free on WhatsApp?
Since 1 October 2026 service messages are charged per message, but each business phone number gets 1,000 free service messages every month.
Can I keep using the WhatsApp Business app?
Yes, if a few chats a day are all you get. Check during setup whether your number can stay on the app once it is connected to the platform.
Can I use a chatbot on WhatsApp?
Yes, on the official platform, with opt-in and a clear way to reach a person. Customers should be told when they are talking to AI.
Does Malta Digital set up the WhatsApp Business API?
Yes. We connect your number to the WhatsApp Business Platform and build the chatbot, booking or CRM connection on top. Chatbots are priced per project after scoping.
Keep reading
Related guides.
How to automate WhatsApp messages
The free app, the WhatsApp Business Platform, templates, opt-in and connecting to your CRM.
CRM integration
Connect website forms, Facebook lead ads, WhatsApp, calls, calendar and accounting to your CRM: native, connector or custom, and what breaks.
A useful first step
Ready for WhatsApp that answers and books?
We connect your number to the WhatsApp Business Platform, build the chatbot or reminders on top and connect your booking system or CRM. Priced per project after scoping; custom systems from €7,500.
Step 1 of 3
Apply now for WhatsApp setup
A few quick questions, about a minute. We usually reply within 2–3 hours.