To use the WhatsApp Business API in Singapore in 2026, you need a verified Meta business portfolio, a phone number connected through the official Cloud API, and recorded opt-in from every customer you message. Meta charges Singapore numbers USD 0.0732 per delivered marketing message and USD 0.0160 per utility or authentication message, and PDPC confirms that the Do Not Call rules apply to marketing messages sent on WhatsApp to Singapore numbers.
Who this guide is for
This guide is for Singapore retailers, clinics, education centres, property agencies, F&B groups and B2B firms. You may already use the WhatsApp Business app and want broadcasts, automation or a shared team inbox. It covers three things: what the PDPA and the Do Not Call (DNC) rules require, what Meta charges for Singapore numbers, and how to get a number live on the official API.
This is a practical guide, not legal advice. For your specific case, read the PDPC sources linked below or speak to a lawyer.
PDPA and WhatsApp: the two sets of rules that apply
Singapore's Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA) affects WhatsApp marketing in two ways. The data protection provisions cover how you collect and use a customer's phone number. The DNC provisions cover what you can send to that number.
1. Data protection obligations: consent, purpose, notification
Under the PDPC's data protection obligations, you must tell people why you are collecting their personal data (the Notification Obligation). You may only collect, use or disclose it for purposes they have consented to (the Consent Obligation), and only for purposes a reasonable person would consider appropriate (the Purpose Limitation Obligation). People can withdraw consent with reasonable notice. Once they do, you must stop using their data for that purpose.
In practice, a mobile number collected for delivery updates is not automatically consent for promotions. If you plan to send offers on WhatsApp, say so when you collect the number.
2. Do Not Call provisions: they cover WhatsApp
The PDPC's individual guide to the DNC Registry states it directly: the DNC rules "apply to specified messages sent to your Singapore telephone number, even on WhatsApp and Telegram". It also says that a promotional message reaching a number listed on the No Text Message Register is a potential violation (PDPC, Individual's Guide to the DNC Registry).
The PDPC's Advisory Guidelines on the Do Not Call Provisions (revised 1 February 2021) set out what senders must do:
- Check the register or hold consent. Before sending a marketing ("specified") message to a Singapore number, check it against the DNC Registry. The result is valid for 21 days from receipt. The exception is when you hold clear and unambiguous consent from the number's user or subscriber, kept in written or other form you can refer to later.
- Consent needs positive action. The guidelines say clear and unambiguous consent is unlikely to come from a customer simply failing to opt out. An unticked checkbox the customer ticks, or a reply such as "YES", is the kind of positive action they describe.
- Honour withdrawals within 21 days. When someone withdraws consent, you have 21 days to act on it. After that you need a fresh DNC check before sending them anything promotional.
- Identify yourself. Section 44 of the PDPA requires each specified message to identify the sender and say how the recipient can contact you.
Some messages are not "specified messages" at all. Examples include messages that complete or confirm a transaction the customer agreed to, warranty or safety notices, and market research. Messages sent to an organisation (not to an individual acting in a personal capacity) are also excluded. The full list is in the advisory guidelines.
Penalties
Since 1 October 2022, the maximum financial penalty for a DNC breach is S$200,000 for an individual and S$1 million for an organisation. For data protection breaches, the maximum is 10% of annual Singapore turnover for organisations with more than S$10 million in turnover, or S$1 million otherwise (Allen & Gledhill summary of the 2022 changes).
Meta's own opt-in rules sit on top
Meta's opt-in requirements say businesses must clearly state that the person is opting in to receive messages, name the business they will hear from, and comply with applicable law. Meta also recommends clear opt-out instructions for each category of message, and says you should honour them. Customers can block or report a business at any time. A high block rate hurts your number's quality rating and can limit how many people you can reach.
WhatsApp API pricing in Singapore (October 2026)
Meta charges per delivered template message. The rate depends on the recipient's country calling code, not where your business is based (Meta, WhatsApp Business Platform pricing). So a +65 number is billed at Singapore rates, even if your company is registered elsewhere.
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| Message category | Meta rate per delivered message (USD, +65 recipients) | When it is free |
|---|---|---|
| Marketing (offers, launches, re-engagement) | $0.0732 | Only inside a 72-hour free entry point window |
| Utility (order, booking, payment updates) | $0.0160 | Inside an open 24-hour customer service window |
| Authentication (one-time passcodes) | $0.0160 | Inside a 72-hour free entry point window |
| Service (free-form replies to a customer) | $0.0160 after the free allowance | First 1,000 per business phone number per month inside the 24-hour window |
The free windows
- 24-hour customer service window. It opens when a customer messages you. From 1 October 2026, the first 1,000 service messages per business phone number per month inside this window are free. After that, the utility rate applies. Utility templates sent inside an open window are free.
- 72-hour free entry point window. When a customer starts the chat from a click-to-WhatsApp ad or a Facebook Page call-to-action, all messages are free for 72 hours.
SGD or USD billing
Meta bills in the currency of your Meta payment account, and SGD is one of its supported billing currencies, with its own rate card. The figures in this guide are Meta's USD rates. If you pay in SGD, use Meta's SGD rate card rather than converting these numbers yourself. Meta also offers monthly volume tiers that lower utility and authentication rates as your volume grows. Tiers are counted across your business portfolio and reset each month.
Worked example: a Singapore retailer's month
Say a shop sends 5,000 marketing messages and 2,000 utility messages outside the service window. It also answers customer chats inside the window but stays under the 1,000 free service messages.
- Marketing: 5,000 × $0.0732 = $366.00
- Utility outside the window: 2,000 × $0.0160 = $32.00
- Service replies inside the free allowance: $0.00
- Meta total: about USD 398, before any volume-tier discount
To try your own numbers, or compare Singapore with Malaysia, Indonesia, the UK or the US, use the WhatsApp pricing calculator by country. You can also browse the full WhatsApp API pricing by country for 2026.
What a platform adds on top of Meta's fees
Meta's API has no inbox or campaign screen of its own, so most businesses use a platform built on it. With RichAutomate outside India, Meta bills your business directly on your own card ("Client Pay"). We never mark up Meta's rates. Our charges are separate and published on the RichAutomate international pricing page:
| Item | RichAutomate (outside India) |
|---|---|
| Starter / Pro / White-label plan | $9 / $15 / $19 per month |
| Platform fee per message sent | $0.002 |
| Platform fee per 24-hour conversation window opened | $0.004 |
| Minimum wallet top-up | $10 |
| Setup fee | None. 14-day trial and $2 free credit on signup |
For the retailer above, 7,000 messages add $14 in platform fees. If 1,500 conversation windows were opened, that adds $6 more. On the Pro plan, the monthly platform cost would be $35, on top of the $398 paid directly to Meta.
Setup: getting a Singapore number live, step by step
Step 1: Prepare your Meta business portfolio
Create or tidy up your Meta business portfolio. Your legal business name, address and website should match your company records. A website that names your business makes review easier.
Step 2: Complete business verification
Meta describes business verification as the process it uses to verify your identity as a business entity. You can start it from the Security Centre of your business portfolio. Meta asks for official, valid documents that prove the business is registered, such as a certificate of incorporation, business licence, tax registration, utility bill or business bank statement. Accepted documents vary by country (360dialog, Meta Business Verification).
Verification also matters for scale. Under Meta's messaging limits, a new business portfolio can reach 250 unique customers outside the service window in any rolling 24 hours. Completing verification is one way to move up to 2,000. Higher tiers follow automatically if your quality stays good.
Step 3: Connect your number
With Embedded Signup, you log in with Facebook inside the platform, choose your business portfolio and connect a number in a few screens. If your team already chats with customers on the WhatsApp Business app, coexistence lets you keep using the app on the same number while the API handles broadcasts and automation.
Step 4: Write and submit templates
Every business-initiated message outside the 24-hour window must use a Meta-approved template. Keep marketing and utility templates separate, because the category sets the price. Put your business name in the message, and add an opt-out line to marketing templates so you meet section 44 and Meta's opt-out guidance.
Step 5: Build your consent record before the first broadcast
Add a WhatsApp opt-in checkbox to your website forms, checkout and in-store sign-up, and store the date, source and wording of each opt-in. For numbers without that evidence, run a DNC check and only send within the 21-day validity period. Set up opt-out keywords such as STOP so withdrawals take effect immediately, well within the 21-day limit.
Features worth having in Singapore
Singapore customers write in English, Mandarin, Malay and Tamil, so language handling matters. RichAutomate runs on the official Meta Cloud API and includes:
- An AI chatbot and agent that replies in the customer's language, plus opt-out keyword handling in multiple languages
- Broadcasts and campaigns scheduled in your workspace's timezone (for example Asia/Singapore), so a 7 pm offer arrives at 7 pm local time
- A template manager with AI help for drafting and categorising templates
- A visual no-code flow builder for bookings, lead qualification and FAQs
- A team inbox so sales and support share one number
- Shopify and WooCommerce integrations, plus a developer API and webhooks for custom systems
Compare plans on the international pricing page, or estimate your Meta bill first with the country pricing calculator.
Compliance checklist for Singapore WhatsApp marketing
- Opt-in wording names your business and says the customer will receive messages on WhatsApp
- Consent is collected through positive action and stored with date and source
- Numbers without consent evidence are checked against the DNC Registry within 21 days of sending
- Every marketing message identifies your business and how to contact you
- Opt-outs are processed automatically and never later than 21 days
- Marketing and utility templates are categorised correctly