WhatsApp AI agent for business: what it does and what it costs

A WhatsApp AI agent answers your customers on WhatsApp by understanding what they write, looks up your data (orders, calendar, catalogue) to give them a real answer and hands the conversation over to you when a person is needed. Unlike a button-based chatbot, it doesn't follow a fixed menu: it understands messages written the way anyone would write them. For a small business it costs from €990 setup and €149/month, plus whatever Meta charges for messages.

Button-based chatbot or AI agent

• Button-based chatbot: "press 1 for orders, 2 for opening hours". Cheap and simple, but it falls short as soon as the customer writes something that isn't on the menu.
• AI agent: understands "will what I ordered on Tuesday arrive tomorrow?", finds the order in your system and replies with the real information. If it can't resolve it, it alerts you with a summary of the conversation.

For the difference in depth, see what an AI agent is.

What it can do for your business

• Answer frequently asked questions at any hour: opening hours, prices, lead times, paperwork required.
• Check the status of an order in your online shop or your ERP.
• Book appointments: it looks at the free slots in your calendar, suggests times and books them.
• Collect details for a quote: it asks what's needed and leaves you a tidy request.
• Follow up: appointment reminders, shipping notices or outstanding paperwork.
• Hand the conversation over to you when the customer is upset, asks for something out of the ordinary or a price needs to be agreed.

How do you set up an agent on WhatsApp?

1. It uses the official WhatsApp Business API (from Meta), not the phone app. It can be your current number or a new one.
2. The business is verified with Meta and the number is connected to the agent.
3. The agent is connected to whatever it needs to look up: calendar, shop, CRM or ERP.
4. The rules are set: what it answers on its own, what it passes to you and the tone it uses.
5. It's tested with real conversations before opening it up to all customers.

How much does a WhatsApp chatbot or agent cost?

In Spain there are two ways to pay for it:

• Subscription platforms (Landbot, ManyChat and the like): from a few tens to a couple of hundred euros a month, with whatever you configure yourself. Fine for simple flows.
• Custom agent: according to industry pricing guides, between €2,000 and €8,000 setup when it's connected to the company's systems, plus a monthly fee.

Our launch prices, excl. VAT: from €990 setup and €149/month for an agent focused on one process (customer service, appointments or orders), with server, AI, maintenance and adjustments included. On top of that, Meta charges for conversations started by the business at its current rates; replies to messages from your customers usually cost very little or nothing.

What are the downsides?

• It needs good information to start with: if your prices or lead times aren't clearly written down, the agent won't know them either.
• It shouldn't settle sensitive matters alone: returns, complaints or special prices are best approved by a person.
• Meta has its rules: you have to use the official API and follow its messaging rules, or the number can be blocked.

Is it worth it?

If you get a lot of repeated questions on WhatsApp or lose customers by not replying outside business hours, yes. Work out how many hours it takes you today with the hours calculator, see what else can be automated and what it costs, how we build AI agents for business, or tell us about your case.