As of Q3 2021, WhatsApp is the most popular social network in Singapore. 

In addition to being the go-to instant messaging app for casual conversations between family or friends, many Singaporean businesses use it for customer engagement, launching marketing campaigns, and sales retargeting. 

In this article, we’re going to talk about everything you need to know about using WhatsApp Business API in Singapore, what it can do for your business growth, and how you can get started. 

How to set up WhatsApp Business API in Singapore

Source: Statista

When people say that everyone in Singapore is using WhatsApp, it’s barely an exaggeration. Whether it may be using the free version of WhatsApp or the paid WhatsApp Business API, the fact is that 83.7% of Singapore’s internet users are communicating through this powerful platform. 

Responding to this demand, Meta has tailored WhatsApp Business API to equip businesses with features for more efficient selling. Let’s take a look at a simple comparison: 

In order to use WhatsApp Business API, users are strongly encouraged to partner with global business solution providers (BSPs) that are messaging experts in the field of enterprise businesses and customer communications, for example, SleekFlow, to connect with customers via WhatsApp. 

Once you have access to WhatsApp Business API through a BSP,  businesses can utilise WhatsApp links to make it easier for customers to contact them, and use a WhatsApp Manager to better manage the surge in conversations! 

Check out our article here to read more information about the Official WhatsApp Business API, or head to our Youtube video for a more detailed overview: 

Factors that affect the WhatsApp Business API costs

If you’re an existing WhatsApp Business API or prospective user, you should pay attention to the two following factors that may affect your monthly spending on the app. 

1. WhatsApp Business API pricing for Singapore

Starting on 1 February 2022, WhatsApp has announced a new pricing model, switching from notification-based to conversation-based. In other words, businesses will be charged per conversation instead of the number of notifications sent.

In June 2023, Meta has once again released a new update, which is to categorize conversations into business-initiated conversations and user-initiated conversations.

• Business-initiated conversations

This type of conversation is a conversation that begins with the business sending a message to the customer. It is subdivided into 3 categories:

1. Utility conversations

2. Authentication conversations

3. Marketing conversations

• User-initiated conversations

This type of conversation is a conversation that begins with the customer sending a message to the business. It is also called service conversations.

The first 1000 service conversations each month are free!

Rates for the conversations also vary by market. 

Besides, you must also take note that there is a customer care window in which user-initiated conversations will end 24 hours after the last message your customers sent. After this 24-hour window, businesses will have to begin a new conversation with a template message. Template messages will naturally start a business-initiated conversation.

Since Singapore is classified under the APAC region, the cost per conversation in USD is:

Let’s say that you are planning to send 1 template message for marketing to 10,000 customers every month, the approximate monthly cost will be SGD 990*. 

*Exchange rates fluctuate daily. The cost is estimated based on the exchange rate in June 2023.

Don’t forget to buffer some fees for user-initiated conversations!

Want to learn more about the conversation-based pricing model? Here’s a video for you: 

2. WhatsApp Business Solution Provider (BSP) pricing in Singapore

The above table represents the price determined by each WhatsApp Business Solution Provider with their own service pricing. Other than authorised providers like Twilio and 360dialog, there is also SleekFlow, an official WhatsApp BSP with user-friendly pricing.

For Twilio, they charge an additional USD 0.005 (SGD 0.0071) on top of WhatsApp Business API’s conversation charges.

For a more cost-effective alternative, 360dialog, when applied through SleekFlow, requires only a monthly fee of USD 12.50, which is around SGD 17.80. 

You can also access the powerful WhatsApp Cloud API through SleekFlow.

Find out how to get started with WhatsApp Business API through SleekFlow.

Calculate your own WhatsApp API costs for sending messages

Did you know that you can calculate your WhatsApp messaging cost using SleekFlow's WhatsApp pricing calculator?

You may also visit Facebook’s website for more information.

Understand the billing process

Once your business starts implementing the WhatsApp Business API, it is of utmost importance for you to learn how to view payments and understand the invoice.

When creating a WhatsApp Business account, the system requires you to apply for a line of credit. After the application has been approved, a monthly invoice will be shown in the 'Payment Settings' section within your WhatsApp Business Manager.

As mentioned above, the invoice that includes all spending associated with the same WhatsApp Business Manager will be emailed to users during the first week of each month. The payments can then be settled by bank transfer to the Facebook bank account listed on each invoice. To avoid late payment charges, fees should be paid within 30 days following the invoice date.

The billing process is even simpler for SleekFlow customers! 

All you need to do is top up your WhatsApp credits through the SleekFlow platform and the WhatsApp fees will be automatically deducted depending on your usage.