What WhatsApp Business Platform calling is
WhatsApp has two business products that are often confused. One is the WhatsApp Business app, the free application a small business installs on its phone. The other is the WhatsApp Business Platform (known as the WhatsApp API or Cloud API), designed for medium and large companies that connect WhatsApp to their own systems: CRM, chatbots, call center.
The calls we discuss here belong to the platform, and Meta calls them the Calling API. They allow a business to receive and make voice calls with WhatsApp users over the internet (VoIP, that is, voice over a data or Wi-Fi connection), without going through the traditional telephone network. For the customer it is just like calling a contact: they tap the phone icon in the business's chat and that's it. The call and the messages stay in the same conversation, so the history of what was said and written is in one place.
Today the Calling API is voice only. Meta has said video calls are on the way; according to Mobile Time Latinoamérica (July 2026), they are in testing and their launch is expected in the fourth quarter of 2026. That date is not confirmed in the official documentation.
When they launched and how they came about
Meta announced business calling on the platform on July 1, 2025, at its annual Conversations conference in Miami. According to the official WhatsApp Business blog and TechCrunch, the announcement included three pieces:
- Inbound calls: the customer calls the business when they want to speak with a person.
- Outbound calls: the business calls the customer, but only when the customer has requested or authorized it.
- A foundation for voice AI: Meta said these calls pave the way for AI-powered voice customer service, and TechCrunch mentioned voice agent providers that can already be connected.
Since then the feature has received frequent updates, which Meta records in its documentation changelog: SIP connectivity (the standard protocol used by phone systems), an Asterisk integration guide published in September 2025, support for the G.711 codec (the classic telephony audio format) in March 2026, and rules to curb abuse, such as restrictions on numbers with low answer rates (September 2025) or poor user ratings (January 2026).
How they work: inbound calls, outbound calls and call buttons
Inbound calls (initiated by the customer). Once the business enables calling on its number, the customer sees the phone icon in the chat. The business can set its business hours for calls, let customers ask to be called back (callback request) and limit the icon's visibility by country. If no one answers, the customer can leave a voice message that stays in the chat.
Call buttons and links. The business can send a message in the chat with a “Call” button (which can have an expiration) or publish a link that opens the call directly from its website, an email or a campaign. Since September 2025, these buttons and links can carry an internal code to show which campaign or page each call came from.
Outbound calls (initiated by the business). Here Meta is strict: the business needs the customer's permission before calling. That permission is obtained in three ways:
- By sending a permission request that the customer approves. It can be temporary (7 days) or permanent.
- When the customer calls the business and the business has the callback option enabled, temporary permission is granted automatically.
- The customer can grant permanent permission from the business's profile.
Only the customer can grant or revoke permission, at any time. In addition, the business can send at most 1 permission request per day and 2 per week to the same person, and if the customer does not answer 4 consecutive calls, the permission is revoked automatically.
Requirements, availability in Colombia and costs according to Meta
Requirements. According to Meta's documentation, the number must be on the Cloud API (not the WhatsApp Business app), have calling enabled and have a messaging limit of at least 2,000 unique recipients per day, the tier Meta grants to accounts with a good track record. In practice, the connection is made through an authorized WhatsApp provider or a telephony platform that integrates the API.
Availability. Inbound calls work in every country where the Cloud API operates. Outbound calls do too, with five exceptions: the United States, Canada, Egypt, Vietnam and Nigeria. Colombia is not on that list, and Meta has published calling rates in Colombian pesos (COP) since April 1, 2026, with updates in July and October 2026.
Costs charged by Meta:
- All customer-initiated calls are free, both for the customer and for the business as far as Meta's charges are concerned.
- Business-initiated calls are billed by duration, in 6-second increments, based on the country of the number called and monthly volume (the more minutes, the lower the rate). The exact rates are in Meta's official tables and change periodically, which is why we do not quote them here.
- The call permission request is billed as a regular message.
- Meta's call recording and transcription are free for now; Meta has announced they will be priced separately later, with no date set.
Keep in mind that the fees of the provider or platform you use to handle the calls are added to these Meta charges.
WhatsApp Business app vs. platform calling
The WhatsApp Business app also supports calls, but it works like a personal phone: the call rings on the phone or linked devices, and if the person in charge is busy, the customer gets no answer. The main differences are:
- Who answers: in the app, whoever has the phone at hand; on the platform, the call can enter a phone system and be distributed among many agents.
- Volume: the app is for a few conversations; the platform is built to serve at scale, with simultaneous calls.
- Integration: the platform connects to CRM, ticketing systems, recording and AI agents; the app does not.
- Controlled outbound calls: on the platform, the business only calls with recorded permission and Meta measures quality, which protects the number's reputation.
The same number cannot be on the app and the API at the same time. If your company already uses the app and wants to make the move, it is best to plan the migration with a provider so you do not lose the number's presence or your customers' trust.
Why connect WhatsApp calls to your PBX or call center
Receiving calls on WhatsApp is only half the job; the other half is handling them well. Meta allows the Calling API to be connected via SIP, the same protocol phone systems use, with encrypted transport (TLS). This means a WhatsApp call can enter your cloud PBX or call center platform like any other call and benefit from everything the phone system already offers:
- Queues and routing: the call goes to the available agent or the right department based on a menu, business hours or the agent's skills.
- Multiple agents on a single number: customers always dial the same official WhatsApp number, and your team answers from the office or remotely.
- Recording and quality: recording for quality control and training, with notice to the customer.
- Reports: wait times, missed calls, duration and performance by agent, alongside the calls from your landline or mobile line.
- CRM: the customer's record opens when the call comes in, and the conversation is logged.
- AI voice agents: an artificial intelligence voice agent can answer first, resolve frequently asked questions or schedule appointments, and hand over to a person when needed.
For example, a clinic that receives many inquiries on WhatsApp can add a “Call” button to its chat. Outside business hours, an AI agent confirms or reschedules appointments; during business hours, the call enters the reception queue and is answered by the first available person, who sees the patient's details on screen.
Best practices, privacy and how to get started with 19 80 TIC Cloud
Meta measures how users react to your calls and restricts numbers with low answer rates or poor ratings. These practices will help you protect your number:
- Only call people who asked for it, and explain in the permission request why you will be calling.
- Respect business hours and publish your phone support hours on WhatsApp.
- Do not insist: several unanswered calls can cost you the permission and hurt the number's reputation.
- Disclose recording: Meta's recording plays an announcement to both parties before it starts and keeps the audio available for download for only 7 days; if you record on your own phone system, inform the customer as well.
- Protect personal data: in Colombia, phone numbers, voices and recordings are personal data covered by Ley 1581 de 2012, the country's data protection law. Obtain authorization, have a clear data processing policy and restrict access to recordings.
- Always offer a way to reach a human when using AI agents.
At 19 80 TIC Cloud, a Mobile Virtual Network Operator partnered with Suma Móvil and dedicated exclusively to businesses, we connect WhatsApp calls to your cloud PBX or call center, together with +57 business mobile numbers, WhatsApp chat support, SMS, CRM and AI voice agents. If you would like to evaluate how to apply this to your operation, speak with an advisor.
