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From SMS reseller to WhatsApp reseller: what changes and what carries over
A practical comparison for Indian bulk SMS resellers adding WhatsApp: registration, templates, consent, pricing and support compared side by side, plus which clients to move first.
By Broadchat teamPublished 6 min read
In short
Going from SMS reseller to WhatsApp reseller keeps your clients and your template discipline but changes almost everything else. Instead of DLT headers and content templates registered with operators, each client needs a Meta business portfolio, an approved display name and Meta-approved message templates. Instead of DND scrubbing, WhatsApp requires the recipient's opt-in. Meta charges per delivered template message by category, conversations are two-way, and each client's number has a quality rating you must protect.
Key takeaways
- DLT registration and Meta onboarding are separate systems; nothing registered on DLT carries over to WhatsApp.
- WhatsApp has no DND scrub; the rule is opt-in from each recipient to the named business.
- Your SMS template experience transfers well: WhatsApp templates also have fixed text with variables and are reviewed before use.
- WhatsApp is two-way, so clients need an inbox, a chatbot and staff time; support load per client is higher than SMS.
- Move OTP and transactional clients first, keep SMS as a fallback channel, and add marketing once numbers have a good quality history.
If you run a bulk SMS business in India, WhatsApp is the obvious next product: your clients already ask for it. The move from SMS reseller to WhatsApp reseller is easier than starting from zero, because you already sell messaging, understand templates and have clients who send OTPs, alerts and offers. But the rules, the pricing and the day-to-day work are different enough that SMS habits can hurt a WhatsApp number. This post maps the differences.
Registration: DLT vs Meta
For SMS, India's TRAI regulations (TCCCPR 2018) require senders to register on an operator's distributed ledger (DLT) platform: the principal entity, its headers (sender IDs of up to 11 characters) and its content templates, with the fixed and variable parts of each message (TRAI regulation).
WhatsApp has nothing to do with DLT. Each client goes through Meta instead:
| Step | SMS (DLT) | WhatsApp Business Platform |
|---|---|---|
| Who registers | The principal entity on an operator's DLT portal | The business, in its own Meta business portfolio |
| Sender identity | Header of up to 11 characters | A real phone number plus a display name reviewed by Meta |
| Message approval | Content templates registered on DLT | Message templates reviewed by Meta; review can take up to 24 hours |
| Template categories | Transactional, service, promotional, government | Marketing, utility, authentication |
| Business verification | Entity documents on DLT | Meta business verification of the portfolio, needed to move past the starting messaging limit |
| Reuse across clients | Each entity registers its own headers and templates | Each client registers its own number and templates |
One habit to drop: on DLT, a reseller often handles registration for the client. On WhatsApp, the client should complete Meta's Embedded Signup with their own Facebook login, so the account belongs to them. You guide; they click.
Consent: DND scrubbing vs opt-in
SMS compliance in India is built around preferences: promotional messages are scrubbed against the recipient's DND preferences and consent records on DLT. WhatsApp works the other way round. The WhatsApp Business Messaging Policy says a business may contact someone only if that person gave their number and opted in to receive messages from that business.
In practice:
- A purchased or scraped number list is not usable on WhatsApp, even if those numbers are not on DND.
- An SMS consent collected for a different brand does not cover WhatsApp messages from your client.
- Clients need visible opt-in points: a checkbox at checkout, a QR code at the counter, a Click-to-WhatsApp ad, a form on the website. See the opt-in guide.
Templates: familiar, but reviewed differently
Your SMS template skills carry over. WhatsApp templates also mix fixed text with numbered variables like {{1}}, and Meta reviews them before use. The differences that catch SMS people out:
- Categories are judged by content. A "transactional" order update with a discount line is a marketing template to Meta, and Meta can recategorise it automatically. Keep utility templates free of promotion.
- Rich components. Templates can carry an image, video or document header and buttons: quick replies, a website link, a call button or a copy-code button for OTPs.
- Variable rules. A template cannot start or end with a variable, and variables must be numbered in order.
- Volume per hour. A business can create up to 100 templates per hour, and the total allowed depends on verification (250 unverified, 6,000 verified with an approved display name), per Meta's templates overview.
The message templates guide covers categories and approval in depth.
Pricing: per delivered message, by category
With SMS you buy routes and sell credits. On WhatsApp, Meta charges per delivered template message, and the rate depends on the category (marketing costs more than utility and authentication) and the recipient's country. Service messages, the free-form replies inside the 24-hour window, are free for the first 1,000 per number per month and charged after that, since 1 Oct 2026. Rates change only on 1 Jan, 1 Apr, 1 Jul and 1 Oct. Current figures: WhatsApp API pricing.
What changes for your business model:
- You no longer earn mainly on volume. A WhatsApp reseller typically earns a recurring plan fee per client plus a markup on the client's prepaid messaging wallet, plus setup and services. See WhatsApp API reseller pricing models.
- Clients prepay a wallet per number; when it runs out, business-initiated messages stop. That is the same prepaid discipline as SMS credits.
Sending limits and quality
SMS throughput is mostly a matter of route capacity. WhatsApp has two controls SMS resellers have never had to think about:
- Messaging limits. A business portfolio starts at 250 unique recipients outside the 24-hour window per rolling 24 hours, then 2,000, 10,000, 100,000 and unlimited, based on quality and usage (messaging limits). A client cannot blast 50,000 numbers on day one.
- Quality rating. Blocks and reports from recipients lower a number's quality, which can pause templates and hold back the limit. Read quality rating and messaging limits.
Support: two-way changes the job
An SMS campaign is mostly fire and forget. A WhatsApp campaign produces replies, and customers expect answers. Your clients will need a shared inbox, a chatbot for common questions and a way to hand over to a person; WhatsApp's policy requires automated experiences to offer a path to a human. Expect more onboarding time per client and more "how do I" questions in the first month.
A migration plan for your SMS client base
| Order | Client type | Why | First WhatsApp setup |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | OTP and login senders | Clear use case, authentication templates with copy-code buttons | One authentication template, API integration |
| 2 | Transactional senders (orders, appointments, bills) | Utility templates are factual and customers expect them | Two or three utility templates, inbox for replies |
| 3 | Promotional senders with real opt-in lists | Rich media and buttons help, but limits and quality matter | Marketing templates to engaged segments, growing over weeks |
| Last | Senders with bought or old lists | Will damage their number quickly | Rebuild opt-in first |
Keep SMS running alongside WhatsApp at first. Many clients will want SMS for recipients who are not on WhatsApp or as a fallback for OTPs; keep that on your existing SMS routes, since a WhatsApp platform will not replace them. Broadchat, for example, sends WhatsApp and web chat; your own SMS gateway can still be used for the panel's login OTPs and alerts in your name.
For the full reseller setup, read how to become a WhatsApp API reseller and the pillar guide on starting a WhatsApp reseller business.
Sources
- WhatsApp Business Messaging Policy — WhatsApp, checked 12 October 2026
- Templates overview — Meta for Developers, checked 12 October 2026
- Messaging limits — Meta for Developers, checked 12 October 2026
- Pricing on the WhatsApp Business Platform — Meta for Developers, checked 12 October 2026
- Telecom Commercial Communications Customer Preference Regulations, 2018 — Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, checked 12 October 2026
Broadchat team · Product and partner success team
The people who build and support Broadchat, the white-label WhatsApp Business API platform. We write from what we see while onboarding partners and their clients on the official WhatsApp Cloud API, and we check every article against Meta's current documentation.
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Frequently asked questions
Do WhatsApp messages need DLT registration in India?
No. DLT registration under TRAI's regulations applies to SMS and voice commercial communication through telecom operators. WhatsApp Business messages are governed by Meta's onboarding, template review and WhatsApp's Business Messaging Policy.
Can my SMS clients use their DLT templates on WhatsApp?
Not directly. The wording can be reused, but each template must be created on WhatsApp in the right category (marketing, utility or authentication) and approved by Meta.
Is WhatsApp cheaper than SMS for OTPs?
It depends on current rates and the recipient's country, which change quarterly. Compare Meta's authentication rate for India with your SMS route cost on the day you price it, and remember WhatsApp OTPs only reach people with WhatsApp.
Can I message my SMS contact lists on WhatsApp?
Only contacts who opted in to receive WhatsApp messages from that business. Not being on DND is not consent on WhatsApp. Messaging people without opt-in leads to blocks, lower quality and possible restrictions.