How to choose a WhatsApp API provider: a checklist for Bangladesh

A Chattogram cosmetics brand decides it is time to leave the WhatsApp Business app. Two people now answer the same phone, and the owner wants broadcasts and an AI assistant. She gets five proposals in a week. They all say "official WhatsApp API". The prices differ by a factor of four, and one asks for a year's payment upfront.

Choosing a WhatsApp API provider is mostly about avoiding a few expensive mistakes: a number that gets banned, an account you cannot take with you, or a bill that grows with every message. The features matter, but they come second.

This checklist covers what to ask, what a good answer sounds like, and the red flags that should end the conversation.

What kinds of WhatsApp API providers are there?

There are four kinds, and only three of them use Meta's official API.

Our WhatsApp Business API guide for Bangladesh explains how the official platform works if you are new to it.

What is the full checklist?

Here are the twelve questions in one place. The sections below explain the ones that cause the most trouble.

Is the connection official, and whose account is it?

Official access and account ownership come first, because they decide whether you can keep your number and your history.

An official provider connects you through Meta's own signup screens, where you log in with Facebook, choose or create your business, and verify your number. Your number then lives in a WhatsApp Business Account (WABA). Make sure that account is created under your own business portfolio, not the provider's. If you ever leave, an account you own is far easier to move.

Unofficial tools skip all this by linking a normal WhatsApp account through a QR code. They are cheap and quick, and they put your number at risk the moment you send in bulk. Our post on unofficial bulk WhatsApp senders explains why.

Also ask about coexistence. Meta allows eligible numbers to stay on the WhatsApp Business app while connected to the API, which helps if the owner still wants to reply from a phone.

How is pricing split, and who pays Meta's fees?

Ask for three lines: the software subscription, Meta's message fees and AI costs. A quote that cannot be split this way is hard to compare and hard to predict.

Meta charges per delivered message, by category and recipient country. As of 1 October 2026, that includes service messages too: each business number gets 1,000 free service messages a month, then Meta charges for the rest. Utility templates sent inside an open customer service window are also charged from that date, Bangladesh now has its own rates instead of a regional rate, and without a payment method on file Meta stops delivering service messages once they become charged. Meta's pricing page has the current rate card.

Then ask: does Meta bill my account directly, or do you resell messages? If the provider resells, compare its per-message rate with Meta's for Bangladesh. A markup is not wrong in itself, but you should know it is there.

Does it handle templates, broadcasts and opt-in properly?

A good provider makes templates and opt-in part of the product, not a support ticket. You should be able to write a template, choose its category, submit it, and see whether Meta approved or rejected it, with the reason.

For broadcasts, check that contacts without WhatsApp opt-in are skipped automatically. Sending marketing to people who never agreed is how quality ratings drop and sending limits stall. Meta sets messaging limits per business portfolio, shared by all its numbers, and new portfolios start at 250. A provider that ignores quality can cap your growth.

Does it fit how Bangladeshi customers buy?

Test the provider on your real messages. A polished English demo tells you little about "XL ache? Outside Dhaka koto din lagbe?"

Check:

• replies in Bangla script, Banglish and English
• cash-on-delivery orders and Inside or Outside Dhaka delivery fees
• Messenger and Instagram in the same inbox, since many chats start on Facebook
• SMS through Bangladeshi gateways for customers not on WhatsApp
• support during your business hours, in Bangladesh time, ideally on WhatsApp itself

What red flags should make you walk away?

Walk away from any of these:

• A QR code instead of Meta's signup screens.
• The WhatsApp Business Account registered to the provider, with no plan for moving it.
• "Unlimited messages" with no mention of Meta's fees.
• Promises of a green tick, or of "no template approval needed".
• Pressure to pay a year upfront before a trial on your own number.
• No way to export your contacts.

How does SaleMag answer this checklist?

Here is how SaleMag answers the same questions, including the things it does not do.

The WhatsApp Business API platform page shows the setup steps.

Next steps

Write down your channels, team size and monthly chats, then send the twelve questions to every provider on your shortlist. Shortlist the ones that answer the first three clearly, and trial each on a test number with real messages. To run that trial with SaleMag, start free.