The short answer
- One person answering customers by hand: the free WhatsApp Business app is usually enough.
- Automation, an AI chatbot, several team members or a connection to your website, store, booking system or CRM: you need the WhatsApp Business Platform (API).
- Your existing number can often move to the Platform while you keep using the app (Meta calls this coexistence).
- Replies within 24 hours of a customer’s message are free. Meta charges per delivered template message, and +230 numbers are billed at Meta’s “Other” rate.
- Customers must agree to receive your messages, and the Data Protection Act 2017 applies to their data.
The WhatsApp Business app: what it does and where it stops
The WhatsApp Business app is free on the App Store and Google Play. It adds a business profile (address, hours, website), a catalogue, labels, quick replies and greeting or away messages. For a small shop or a professional who answers every customer personally, it is often all that is needed.
Its limits
- Every message is answered by hand, on a phone and a few linked devices.
- No real automation beyond greeting messages, away messages and quick replies.
- No connection to your website, online store, booking system or CRM.
- Hard to share between several staff, or to see who answered what.
- Broadcast lists only reach contacts who saved your number.
The WhatsApp Business Platform (API): built for automation
The WhatsApp Business Platform is Meta’s set of APIs for businesses. Most companies use the Cloud API, which Meta hosts. There is no app to install: software sends and receives the messages, so they can be automated, answered by an AI chatbot, shared in a team inbox and connected to your other systems.
- Automated replies, confirmations, reminders and order updates
- An AI chatbot that answers from your own information and hands over to staff
- Several team members on the same number
- Connections to your website, WooCommerce, booking system, CRM or own application
- Messages you start outside the 24-hour window use templates approved by Meta
- Customers must have opted in before you message them
App or Platform, side by side
| WhatsApp Business app | WhatsApp Business Platform (API) | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free | Meta charges per delivered template message; the automation is built by you or a provider |
| Who answers | You, by hand | Automation, AI and your team |
| Automation | Greeting, away messages, quick replies | Full workflows: bookings, orders, reminders, follow-ups |
| Integrations | None | Website, store, booking system, CRM, APIs |
| Team use | One phone and a few linked devices | Shared inbox, as many staff as needed |
| Messages you start | Normal messages and broadcasts | Approved templates outside the 24-hour window |
| Best for | Small businesses answering personally | Growing volume, bookings, orders, after-hours replies |
How to get on the WhatsApp Business Platform in Mauritius
- 1
A Meta business portfolio
Your business needs a Meta business portfolio (formerly Business Manager). Many already have one for their Facebook or Instagram page.
- 2
Business verification
Meta may ask you to verify the business with official documents, such as your company registration. Verification raises how many customers you can message and is needed to request an official business account.
- 3
A phone number
Use a new number, or connect the number you already use in the WhatsApp Business app (see coexistence below). The number must be able to receive a verification code by SMS or call.
- 4
A display name
The name customers see is reviewed by Meta and should match your business.
- 5
Message templates
Reminders, order updates and promotions are written as templates and submitted to Meta. Review usually takes from a few minutes up to 24 hours.
- 6
The automation itself
Conversation flows, the AI chatbot, integrations and the team inbox are built on top, by your developers or a provider such as Artover.
Templates and the 24-hour customer service window
When a customer messages you, a 24-hour customer service window opens. Inside it you can reply freely with any kind of message, and each new message from the customer restarts the window.
Outside that window you can only start a conversation with an approved template. Templates come in three categories: marketing (offers, announcements, reminders to come back), utility (booking confirmations, order and delivery updates, payment reminders) and authentication (one-time codes).
What Meta charges for WhatsApp messages in Mauritius
- Since 1 July 2025, Meta charges per delivered template message, no longer per conversation.
- Replies inside the 24-hour customer service window are free, and so are utility templates sent inside that window.
- Marketing and authentication templates are charged.
- The rate depends on the template category and the country code of the recipient’s number. Mauritius (+230) is not in Meta’s “Rest of Africa” group, so +230 numbers are billed at the “Other” rate.
- When a customer reaches you from a Click to WhatsApp ad or a Facebook Page button and you reply within 24 hours, a 72-hour free entry point window opens in which every message is free.
Current rates are published on Meta’s rate card (link in the sources below). Meta’s message fees are separate from the cost of building the automation.
Keep your current number: WhatsApp Business app coexistence
If customers already know your WhatsApp Business app number, it can usually be connected to the Cloud API while you keep using the app on your phone. Meta calls this coexistence. Messages appear in both places, and up to six months of chat history can be synchronised.
- It is set up through a Meta Solution Partner or Tech Provider.
- Some app features stop working, including broadcast lists, disappearing messages and view-once messages, and group chats are not available through the API.
- Throughput is capped at 20 messages per second, which is plenty for most local businesses.
- The app must be recent (version 2.24.17 or higher).
Consent, opt-in and the Data Protection Act 2017
WhatsApp’s business rules require customers to agree to receive messages from you before you send them templates, and to be able to stop them. In Mauritius, the Data Protection Act 2017 also applies to the names, numbers and conversations you collect.
- Ask for consent where customers first contact you: form, checkout, booking or first chat
- Say what they will receive: booking reminders, order updates, offers
- Keep a record of when and how they agreed
- Make it easy to stop, and respect it straight away
- Collect only what each workflow needs, and restrict who can see it
Who can set it up: Meta partners and agencies
You can connect to the Cloud API yourself if you have developers, but most businesses work with a provider. Meta’s Solution Partners can onboard you and invoice Meta’s fees to you; with a Tech Provider, your business pays Meta directly. Agencies like Artover build what sits on top: the conversation flows, the AI chatbot, the team inbox and the connections to your website, store, booking system or CRM.
Questions worth asking any provider
- Is the WhatsApp Business account in my name, so I keep the number and its history?
- Who pays Meta, and are message fees passed on at cost?
- Can the automation connect to the systems I already use?
- Can it reply in English, French and Kreol Morisien?
- Who updates templates and flows after launch?
When automation makes sense, and when a person is better
Automate when
- The same questions arrive every day: prices, hours, location, availability
- Bookings, reminders and order updates follow clear rules
- Messages arrive after hours, or faster than your team can reply
- Every lead needs the same details collected
Keep a person for
- Complaints and sensitive situations
- Medical, legal or financial advice
- Negotiations and custom quotes
- Anything the automation is not sure about: it should hand over
WhatsApp Business in Mauritius: FAQ
Is WhatsApp Business free in Mauritius?
The WhatsApp Business app is free. The WhatsApp Business Platform (API) has no subscription from Meta, but Meta charges per delivered template message, and building the automation is a separate cost.
What is the WhatsApp Business API?
It is the common name for the WhatsApp Business Platform: Meta’s APIs that let software send and receive WhatsApp messages for a business. Most businesses use the Cloud API, which Meta hosts.
Can I use the WhatsApp Business app and the API on the same number?
Yes, through coexistence. The number is connected to the Cloud API by a Meta Solution Partner or Tech Provider, and you keep using the app. Some app features, such as broadcast lists, stop working.
Do I need to verify my business with Meta?
Usually, yes. Business verification with official documents raises how many customers you can message and is required to request an official business account.
How much does Meta charge for WhatsApp messages to Mauritian numbers?
Meta charges per delivered template message, by category (marketing, utility, authentication) and by the recipient’s country code. +230 numbers are billed at Meta’s “Other” rate. Replies within 24 hours of a customer’s message are free.
Can a WhatsApp chatbot reply in Kreol Morisien?
Yes. An AI chatbot can follow the customer’s language, including Kreol Morisien. The assistants Artover builds reply in English, French and Kreol Morisien.
Can I send promotions on WhatsApp?
Yes, to customers who opted in, using marketing templates approved by Meta. They are charged per delivered message, and Meta may limit how many marketing messages a person receives.