Definition
A WhatsApp Tech Provider is a Meta partner type for software companies that onboard business clients to the WhatsApp Business Platform through Embedded Signup but have no credit line, so clients pay Meta directly for usage.
Meta's documentation names three partner types: Solution Partners (the old BSP label), Tech Providers and Tech Partners. Only Solution Partners hold credit lines they can extend to clients. A Tech Provider serves clients too, but each client adds its own payment method and pays Meta directly, while the Tech Provider bills separately for its software.
To become a Tech Provider, you verify your business with Meta, pass App Review with advanced access to the whatsapp_business_messaging and whatsapp_business_management permissions, and then onboard clients through Embedded Signup. Meta does not publish a fixed time, and each stage is decided by Meta, so do not promise customers a go-live date before approval.
A multi-partner solution lets a Tech Provider and a Solution Partner share access to client assets through a shared Embedded Signup configuration, with charges running through the Solution Partner's credit line when one is involved.
Choose by what you must own: if the WhatsApp experience is your product and you have engineering capacity, becoming a Tech Provider can fit; if you want it live with less build and billing work, building on a partner is the alternative. Only products that onboard other businesses under your own app need partner status.
Frequently asked questions
Is a BSP the same as a Tech Provider?
No. BSP is the older name for what Meta now calls a Solution Partner, which has a credit line and can invoice clients. A Tech Provider has no credit line, so clients add their own payment method and pay Meta directly.
Who pays Meta when a Tech Provider onboards a client?
The client does. The Tech Provider invoices only for its own services, such as software, support or an inbox.
Do I need to be a Tech Provider to build WhatsApp into my SaaS product?
Only if you want to onboard other businesses under your own app. If your product only connects your own single number, you do not need partner status.