How Does a Business in Nepal Get the WhatsApp Business API?

Short answer: a business in Nepal gets the WhatsApp Business API by connecting a phone number to a WhatsApp Business account through a provider, using a Meta business account and a number that is not already registered on the regular WhatsApp or WhatsApp Business app. Inside ThinnestAI you do this from the dashboard, signing in with Facebook and choosing the number, and the same agent then answers on WhatsApp, on the phone and on your website chat. You pay Meta's published per-message rates plus the platform's fee; we do not quote either here, so check Meta's current rate card and the pricing page.

What is the difference between the WhatsApp Business app and the API?

The free WhatsApp Business app is built for one person with a phone. The API is built for software: it lets an AI agent or a team answer from a shared inbox, send approved template messages and run broadcasts. Most small businesses in Nepal begin on the app and move to the API when messages outgrow one phone. The full comparison is in WhatsApp Business app versus API.

What do you need before you start?

• A phone number for WhatsApp that can receive a verification call or code and is not already in use on the app. If your customers know a number from the app, plan how you will move it, or use a separate number for the API.
• A Facebook login for the person who will set up the Meta business account.
• Business details that match your legal name and website, because Meta reviews them. A green tick, if you want one, is a separate Meta review and we cannot promise a timeline. See the green tick guide.
• A card for platform charges in US dollars on the international deployment. Your bank converts the charge and decides whether it allows overseas payments.

What are the steps?

1. Create your workspace and open the WhatsApp section.
2. Sign in with Facebook and choose the number. The sign-in flow connects your Meta business account and the number to your workspace. You do not need to leave the dashboard for any of the features.
3. Set your display name and profile. The display name is reviewed by Meta, so use your real business name.
4. Create message templates. A template is needed to start a conversation with a customer outside the 24-hour service window, and Meta reviews each. See getting templates approved.
5. Connect the agent. Give it your knowledge base and opening message, and test by messaging the number from your own phone.
6. Decide who watches the inbox. Staff can take over any chat; the agent stays quiet while they do.

What does it cost?

Two parts: the fee Meta publishes per message, which depends on the kind of message and the market, and the platform's fee. We do not quote either. Read how WhatsApp Business API pricing works and check Meta's current rate card for Nepal, because Meta changes it. Platform prices are on the pricing page.

What about languages?

Chat and WhatsApp replies run in 37 languages. The agent's voice side on the international deployment speaks English and Hindi, not Nepali. Nepali voice is available on our India deployment, and for Nepali-language chat or WhatsApp replies you should ask us at hello@thinnest.ai before you plan around it. Do not assume; test with your own customers' messages.

What do the rules say about messaging customers?

Meta's business messaging policy expects customers to have opted in before you send them marketing templates, and we cover it in WhatsApp opt-in rules. On Nepal's own law, a summary by DLA Piper says an advertisement-oriented SMS or email cannot be sent to a person without their consent, citing the Advertisement Act and its Regulation; we did not find a Nepali rule that speaks to WhatsApp specifically. Keep proof of opt-in. This is not legal advice; read the Act and ask a Nepali lawyer. Sources read on 25 October 2026.

What are the limits?

• Facebook Messenger and Instagram messages are not channels the agent answers.
• WhatsApp is one of four channels: phone, WhatsApp, website chat and Telegram.
• You are responsible for the opt-in of the people you message.

What should you do next?

Read about the WhatsApp Business API and the Nepal page. If you want an agent that answers both WhatsApp and the phone, see how a business in Nepal can use an AI phone agent, and the AI receptionist page.