In Chile most small sales go through WhatsApp, and many questions repeat: prices, hours, stock, delivery. That is why an agent that answers with the business's own information makes sense. But Meta changed several rules in 2026, and they are worth knowing before you start.
What changed
According to several official API providers:
- Since January 15, 2026 the API no longer allows general purpose AI chatbots. Business focused agents for support, sales or bookings are allowed.
- Since August, Meta offers its own business agent and bills it by token usage.
- Since October 1 there are new charges for replies on the API.
- The free WhatsApp Business app is unchanged.
Exact prices vary by country and message type, so before any project I check Meta's current rate card and estimate with your real volume.
When it is worth it and when it is not
It is worth it if you get many similar questions, if you lose sales by not answering after hours, or if your team spends hours copying replies. It is not worth it if you have few conversations a day or if each sale needs a long negotiation. There, the free app with quick replies is enough.
How I build it
A good agent answers only with information you control (catalog, prices, FAQs, calendar) and does not make up what is not there. When a question falls outside that, or the customer asks for it, it hands the conversation to a person on your team.
Data matters too. Conversations hold names, phone numbers and sometimes addresses, so Law 21.719 applies: tell people, keep what you need and nothing more.
