WhatsApp Cloud API & Kommo: Your guide is here

Step into the future with WhatsApp Cloud API, Meta’s latest solution for WhatsApp. WhatsApp Cloud API is Meta’s official cloud-hosted solution for business messaging on WhatsApp.

Unlike older, server-based systems, it runs entirely on Meta’s infrastructure, meaning there’s no need to maintain your own servers or work with third-party providers. This makes it faster to set up, more secure, and highly scalable for businesses that need to reliably and efficiently reach thousands of customers.

So, what does WhatsApp Cloud API mean for you?

Kommo’s WhatsApp Business integration is built directly on the WhatsApp Cloud API, giving you a native, no-code way to message, automate, and manage customer chats all within your CRM. It’s a stable, scalable solution designed for business growth.

Also, with Kommo, what you see is what you pay. Just your subscription, no per-message fees, and no third-party fees. You pay per-template message fees directly to Meta, and that’s it. Simple, transparent, and built to scale affordably 🤩

Kommo has achieved the Tech Partner status for WhatsApp and is also a certified Meta Partner.

Thanks to our direct partnership with Meta, you get early access to new features, faster message delivery, and a more stable connection without relying on any external hosting providers.

The true extent of the power and effectiveness of the WhatsApp Cloud API lies in its advanced features.

Let’s say you are a midsize car dealership with big ambitions. However, you struggle with managing customer inquiries, following up on leads, and keeping potential customers engaged throughout the sales cycle.

Current pain points:

• The sales team loses track of WhatsApp conversations, leading to missed opportunities.
• Restricted to sending long messages to customers, making customers lose interest in the conversation.
• Even with a sizable sales team, response times are very long.
• Limited reach.

Does this sound familiar? Are you ready to optimize your business operations? WhatsApp Cloud API features resolve not only these issues but also equip you with powerful tools to enhance your business operations. The best part is that you get all of this right inside Kommo. 💯

Implementing WhatsApp Cloud API in Kommo through the WhatsApp Business integration can streamline your sales process, enhance customer experience, and maximize your reach and lead conversion. This will ultimately drive more revenue with half the effort and resources.

You can now send a variety of interactive, intuitive message formats to simplify the user experience. These are some of the standout messaging formats Kommo brings to you with the WhatsApp business integration:

• List Messages

Present options and categories as bulleted lists with click-to-select functionality for clients.

• Reply buttons

Buttons enable fast and clear user engagement, simplifying decision-making for customers and reducing unnecessary back-and-forth messages.

Allow customers to swipe through your catalog list and select the option they like - all in one template! This enables you to promote multiple items or services in a single template easily, saving time and effort.

• WhatsApp Flows

Flows is a built-in forms feature that allows businesses to send forms to customers, which can be opened and filled out directly in WhatsApp.

You can now offer your clients various options for sending and receiving messages.

You can track key metrics to optimize your business strategy, including:

• 24-hour countdown timer: Meta lets you respond with free-form messages to clients within 24 hours of their last message. To help you track this, each lead card shows a countdown timer so you know how long you have to reply within the time frame.
• Message statistics: Track metrics on message usage and debited amounts per day
• Notification center alerts: With timely notifications of their WhatsApp account status, users can stay on top of their game and never miss a thing.

Businesses can apply for an Official Business Account, which is a high-trust account marked with a blue checkmark badge next to your business name. The possibility to apply for an Official Business Account is only available to those businesses that have a verified Facebook business portfolio.

The WhatsApp Business integration in Kommo uses a flexible limit system that automatically adapts to your business activity. Initially, business phone numbers are limited to 250 conversations per day. To raise this limit to 1000, businesses can verify their portfolio through the official verification process.

However, keep in mind that:

1. In order for your business phone number to be eligible for an increase, it must have a connected status and maintain a Medium or High quality rating.
2. For automatic increases based on messaging activity, you must consistently use high-quality message templates.

Meta implements a phased limit increase system for broadcasts that businesses can follow to unlock higher broadcasting abilities.

WhatsApp templates are pre-approved messages from Meta that businesses can use within an ongoing conversation or to initiate a new one with customers.

Utility templates must be non-promotional, and must be specific to the customer’s order, account, services or transactions. Utility templates can also be about information that is essential or critical to the user such as fraud awareness messages,user safety messages etc.

Focus on promoting your business - from exclusive offers and related product suggestions to abandoned cart messages and more.

Additionally, templates with mixed content are also considered Marketing templates. For example, an order update with a promo offer is a mix of utility and marketing templates, so it falls under the marketing category.

Now that we have discussed the powerful features of the WhatsApp Cloud API integration in Kommo and the various ways it will help you improve your efficiency, let’s find out how this integration is priced.

Meta charges on the Per-Message pricing method. This means that you are charged for the template messages you send to your customers.

These charges depend on:

• The type of templates you send
• The number of templates you send
• Meta’s template rates in your recipient’s country.

But how are these fees actually charged? That’s where the concept of payment thresholds comes in. Let's look at both these concepts in detail 👇

Meta’s per-message pricing system means that you pay for each template message sent, with a few exceptions where you can take advantage of sending messages for free.

Let's look at what is free with WhatsApp Cloud API

• Sending free-form messages in response to an incoming customer message

Every time a customer messages you, a 24-hr customer service window opens. During this time, you can send free-form messages to your customer for free. This 24-hr window resets every time the customer sends a new message.

You can send utility templates for free in response to an incoming customer message as long as it is within the 24-hr customer service window.

• Sending any type of message during the “Free-Entry point window”

When a customer reaches out through a WhatsApp Ad or your Facebook Page button, replying with a free-form message within 24 hrs unlocks a 3-day free messaging window. During this window, you can send any number of template messages (including marketing templates) to the customer for free.

Now that we have covered everything about pricing, let’s break down how charges are actually applied

Meta uses a payment threshold system to charge fees. A payment threshold is the amount you can spend before Meta charges you.

Think of it like a prepaid card - you are allowed to spend up to a limit before making a payment; when your costs reach that limit, Meta takes the money from your account. After that, your spending balance resets to 0, and you start adding up costs again. If you hit the limit again, Meta charges you once more.

If you don’t reach the limit by the end of the month, Meta will charge whatever amount you’ve spent up to that point.

When you first set up WhatsApp Business, Meta assigns you a payment threshold automatically. As you make payments on time and build a good history, your threshold might increase, allowing you to spend more before getting charged.

As we mentioned earlier, in Kommo, you can access the WhatsApp Cloud API features through Kommo’s native WhatsApp Business integration. To set this up, ensure you have the following prerequisites for installation:

• A dedicated phone number with country and area code (shortcodes are not supported) that can receive voice calls or SMS.
• A paid Kommo account (Base, Advanced, or Enterprise plan) or be within 14 days of an active trial.
• Existing Facebook Business Portfolio and WhatsApp Business Account (WABA), or willingness to create it during setup.

Setting it up is as easy as 👇

With Kommo becoming a certified Meta partner, the WhatsApp Business integration in Kommo unlocks the powerful WhatsApp Cloud API features and equips your business with direct access to Meta’s powerful messaging platform.

You will now benefit from faster WhatsApp template approvals, cutting-edge automation, and enhanced messaging formats.

With Kommo, unleash the true power of your potential 🚀

⚡️Upgrade your WhatsApp game by switching to the powerful WhatsApp Cloud API with Kommo as your trusty CRM. Test it with a free trial today - no credit card details required ⚡️