Solution providers
Updated: Nov 14, 2025 This documentation contains information, instructions, and resources for solution providers — businesses that provide, or want to provide, WhatsApp messaging services to other businesses. If you are building an app that will not be used by other businesses, refer to our Cloud API Get Started guide instead. Solution providers are business entities that deploy value-added solutions as WhatsApp authorized service providers on behalf of their business customers. Solution providers include Solution Partners, Tech Providers, and Tech Partners.Solution Partners
Solution Partners are Meta Business Partners that provide a full range of WhatsApp Business Platform services to other businesses, such as messaging services, billing, integration support, and customer support. Solution Partners have credit lines which can be extended to business customers who they bring on board, thus removing the need for those customers to enter their own payment method during the onboarding process. Furthermore, Solution Providers are able to directly invoice their customers for the WhatsApp Business Platform services provided through their apps. In addition, Solution Partners have access to Direct Support and are eligible to participate in the Meta Business Partner SMB Accelerator Program, which offers incentive, accreditation, and enablement services, and the ability to get listed in our partner directory. Note that becoming a Solution Provider is a lengthy process, so if you don’t need a credit line and don’t need to invoice your business customers for API usage directly, consider becoming a Tech Provider instead. See Get started for solution partners.Tech Providers
Tech Providers are similar to Solution Partners in that they also can offer a full range of WhatsApp Business Platform services to other businesses, either by providing these services on their own, or by partnering with a Solution Partner who already offers these services. Unlike Solution Providers, however, Tech Providers do not have credit lines. Instead, business customers onboarded by Tech Providers must provide their own payment method after onboarding is complete. Meta will then bill these customers for API usage, and the Tech Provider will bill for other services. In addition, Tech Providers cannot participate in the Meta Business Partner SMB Accelerator Program unless they upgrade to a Tech Partner. Tech Providers also cannot participate in the Meta Business Partner SMB Accelerator Program, unless they upgrade to a Tech Partner. However, Tech Providers do have access to Direct Support. To learn how to become a Tech Provider, see Become a Tech Provider.Tech Partners
Tech Partners are Tech Providers who are, or are eligible to become, Meta Business Partners. Tech Providers who apply to become a Meta Business Partner and are approved are eligible to participate in the Meta Business Partner SMB Accelerator Program and can get listed in our partner directory. To learn how to upgrade to a Tech Partner, see Upgrading to a Tech Partner.Other partners
If you just want to use Meta Business Suite to provide WhatsApp messaging-related services to business customers (i.e. you don’t need API access), you only need a verified business portfolio. Go to https://business.facebook.com/ and create a business portfolio, or sign into your existing Meta Business Suite account if you already have one. Complete the business verification steps described in our Help Center article. Once your business is verified, provide your business portfolio ID to any business customers for whom you wish to provide service, and ask them to share their WhatsApp Business Account with you. Once shared, you can use Meta Business Suite to access their account and provider service.Comparison
| Solution Partners | Tech Providers | Tech Partners | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Can offer full WhatsApp Business Platform services to onboarded customers | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Has a credit line | Yes | No | No |
| Customers bypass payment method collection | Yes | No | No |
| Bills customers directly for API usage (vs. Meta billing customers for usage) | Yes | No | No |
| Is a Meta Business Partner | Yes | No | Yes |
| Eligible for accelerator program | Yes | No | Yes |
| Access to Direct Support | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Onboarding business customers
There are multiple ways for you to onboard business customers.Embedded Signup
Embedded Signup is a scalable, authentication and authorization interface that can be launched directly from your website or customer portal. Embedded Signup automatically generates all required WhatsApp assets for business customers who successfully complete the flow, and authorizes your app to access those assets.Hosted Embedded Signup
Hosted Embedded Signup (“Hosted ES”) is an alternative and simpler way of implementing Embedded Signup that doesn’t require you to configure and host the implementation code on your website or portal.Partner-initiated account creation
If you are a Solution Partner, you can initiate WhatsApp Business Account creation for a business customer who can then use Meta Business Suite to approve or decline creation.Meta Business Suite
Your business customers can use Meta Business Suite to create a WhatsApp Business Account on their own and share it with you.Multi-Partner Solutions
Multi-Partner Solutions allow solution partners to jointly manage onboarded business customer assets in order to provide comprehensive WhatsApp messaging services. For example, if you are a Tech Provider, you may wish to create a multi-partner solution with a Solution Partner who can share their credit line with business customers onboarded via your joint solution.Access Tokens
If you are a Tech Provider or Tech Partner, you should use business tokens exclusively. If you are a Solution Partner, you should use a system token only when sharing your credit line with onboarded business customers; in all other cases, use business tokens.System tokens
System tokens should only be used by Solution Partners, and only when sharing credit lines with onboarded business customers; at all other times, use a business token instead. System tokens are described in our API documentation, as they are used by non-solution partners as well. See System User Access tokens to learn how to create a system user and token. When creating your system user, aside from granting it any permissions and roles your app needs, also grant it the Finance editor role: Sign into the Meta Business Suite. Locate your business portfolio in the top-left dropdown menu and click its Settings (gear) icon. Click Business settings. Navigate to Users > System Users. Edit the user and grant it the Finance editor role. This will allow your app to use the API to share your credit line with onboarded customers.Business tokens
Business tokens are access tokens scoped to individual onboarded business customers. Use these tokens when accessing onboarded customer data, such as Whatsapp Business Accounts, message templates, business phone numbers, and when sending and receiving messages for your customers. To get a business token that is scoped to a customer, you must exchange a code returned to you when that customer completes the Embedded Signup flow. This process is described in the Onboarding Business Customers section of the Embedded Signup documentation.Permissions
The permissions your app requires from onboarded customers depends on the services you provide. These are described in broad terms below but are largely determined by the endpoints your app will be querying. The most commonly needed permissions are: whatsapp_business_management — necessary if your app needs access to onboarded customer WhatsApp Business Account settings and message templates. whatsapp_business_messaging — necessary if your app needs access to onboarded customer business phone number settings, or if your app will be used by customers to send and receive messages. Note that before your app can be granted these permissions by your business customers, the permissions must be approved through the App Review process.App Review
Before you can officially begin onboarding business customers, you must submit your app for App Review and request advanced access approval for any permissions your app requires. If advanced access is not approved for a given permission, the permission will not appear in the Embedded Signup flow and your business customers will be unable to grant it to your app.Business Verification
In order to be eligible for increased messaging limits, business phone number limits, and Official Business Account status, your business customers must verify their business. Your business customers can submit their business for verification by following the instructions in the following Help Center article: How to Verify Your Business on Meta Alternatively, if you are a Select Solution or Premier Solution Partner, you can submit a customer’s business for verification on their behalf, which has a much faster turnaround time. See Partner-led Business Verification. Did you find this page helpful?
