Key facts
- What it is:
- One WhatsApp number, many agents
- Needs:
- WhatsApp Business API, not the app
- App device limit:
- One phone plus linked devices
- Agents on the API:
- As many as your plan allows
- Two costs:
- Platform fee plus Meta's message rates
- Number:
- One business number, shared
What a team inbox is
A shared inbox for one WhatsApp business number. Several people sign in, all see the same conversations, and each conversation can be assigned to whoever owns it. The history stays with the number, not with a person’s phone.
It is the same idea as a shared support email address, applied to WhatsApp. The customer sees one number and does not know or care which agent replied.
Why the WhatsApp Business app runs out
The free WhatsApp Business app is built for one person running one number. You can link a few extra devices, but the account still belongs to a phone, and that phone is the single point of failure.
What breaks first
Handover. When the person holding the phone is off, nobody else can see what was promised to a customer last week.
Accountability. Two people replying from the same device leaves no record of who said what.
Departures. If the number is registered to a personal phone and that person leaves, recovering it is painful.
Volume. There is no assignment, no queue and no way to see what is unanswered.
What a team inbox actually gives you
| Capability | WhatsApp Business app | Team inbox on the API |
|---|---|---|
| People answering one number | One phone, few linked devices | Whole team, each with a login |
| Assign a chat to someone | No | Yes |
| Internal notes on a chat | No | Yes |
| See who replied | No | Yes, per message |
| History when someone leaves | Tied to the device | Stays with the number |
| Broadcast beyond a contact list | Limited | Yes, via templates |
| Reporting on response times | No | Yes |
Eight things to check before you buy
Every provider runs on the same Meta API, so the API is not what you are choosing between. These are the differences that show up later.
1. Is there a markup on Meta’s message rates?
Ask directly, and ask for it in writing. Ten to twenty percent is common and often not stated on the pricing page. At volume it is the largest line on the bill.
2. Who owns the WhatsApp Business Account?
It should be yours, with the provider as a connected partner. If the account is theirs, leaving means starting over.
3. How many agent seats are included?
Per-seat pricing changes the maths quickly for a growing team. Check what the plan includes and what each extra seat costs.
4. Can you export your data?
Contacts and chat history. If there is no export, the switching cost grows every month you stay.
5. How long is chat history kept?
Retention varies a lot between plans. Six months and unlimited are very different things when a dispute comes up.
6. What happens when something breaks?
Ask who answers, in what timeframe, and whether it is a person who can actually fix a template rejection or a webhook failure.
7. Is there a contract or lock-in?
Month to month is worth paying slightly more for until you know the tool fits.
8. Will they help you migrate?
Moving a number that is already on another platform has steps. Ask whether they do it with you or send you a document.
What it costs
Two separate bills. The platform charges a monthly software fee. Meta charges per conversation, and the rate depends on the category. Those are always distinct, and a provider that blurs them is usually adding margin to the second one.
Boldally Chat starts at ₹999 a month and passes Meta’s rates through at cost. The rate table shows what Meta charges.
Common questions
Can multiple people use one WhatsApp Business number?
Not properly on the free app, which is built around a single phone with a few linked devices. To give a team their own logins on one number you need the WhatsApp Business API and a platform that provides a shared inbox.
What is the difference between a team inbox and WhatsApp Business?
WhatsApp Business is an app for one person on one phone. A team inbox is software on top of the WhatsApp Business API that lets several people answer the same number, assign conversations, leave internal notes and keep the history with the number rather than the device.
Do I need a new phone number for a team inbox?
Not necessarily. An existing number can be migrated to the API, but once it is on the API it no longer works in the WhatsApp Business app. Many teams move their main business number and keep a separate personal one.
How many agents can use one number?
Meta does not cap this; your platform's plan does. Check how many seats are included and what an extra seat costs, because per-seat pricing adds up as the team grows.
Does a team inbox cost extra per message?
Meta charges per conversation regardless of which platform you use. What varies is whether the platform adds a markup on top. Boldally does not; many providers add 10 to 20 percent.