FAQ

What is Chat API?

Chat API is a messengers API provider and a gateway for working with messages. If you are looking to contact your customers via messengers, you have come to the right place. We have been in the business since 2015 and today we work with more than 3000 programmers and organizations globally and serve over 1 billion user requests per month.

From the very start, we have been focusing on helping programmers to integrate with messengers, which is why Chat API has a wide functionality with over 200 methods that are being constantly updated. Therefore, if you want to both direct your customers to messengers and build your own messengers solution (whether it is a CRM/ERP system, a chatbot, or some other platform), Chat API will be your perfect choice.

Another thing that we offer is a chatbot builder (actually, even two of them), multi-agent Chat, docker-hosting and easy ready-to-use apps integrations with messengers (API Chains).

What can the service do?

Small or medium-sized businesses can use Chat API to contact their customers via messengers which will optimize their marketing expenses on bulk messaging. We can either automate communication with your customers with the help of our built-in bots or develop individual scenarios using the available API methods.

If you have a particular IT solution, for example, a CRM system, a bot, or some other platform, Chat API will enable you to easily integrate with messengers. An SDK generator in your user account and a guide for developers in the knowledge base will assist you here.

If you are a large business, you may be interested in the official messengers Business API.

What is messengers Business API (MESAPI)?

To connect your business with customers in messengers, you need an API gateway or interface that will mediate between your solution (CRM system, chat bot, chat platform, or something else) and messenger users. This interface is the official solution from Comp - messengers Business API.
Learn more about the official messengers Business API from Chat API in this article.

messengers Business API benefits

- Free mailing of messages. Without the risk of being banned, without having to keep your phone on;
- Fast connection. No need to verify the business, start working with the number immediately;
- Up to 100,000 messages per day from one number;
- 1000 free conversations per month;
- Interactive buttons in messages for quick customer response;
- messengers number as a business card of your company;
- A green check mark and the company name in the messengers profile after agreeing with Comp.

Chat API provides the official messengers Business API?

We have been successfully helping to establish communication with customers in messengers since 2015, providing access to the functional API, chat bots, chat platforms.
Starting in 2020, we started connecting users to the messengers Business API through the official Comp partner messengers API 360Dialog. Our solution is one of the most affordable and functional in operation. Try it and evaluate for yourself.

How to connect?
Chat API connects to messengers Business API through the official Comp provider. The connection takes place instantly with the help of a new approach to registration with deferred verification.

After registration, you can immediately start testing the operation of the number and configure integration, and the verification of the company, the approval of the display name and coordination with the Comp policy runs parallel to active access to the API.

Connection procedure:

Detailed instructions for connecting the number are provided in this article. Below is the general procedure and approach to registering a MESAPI number.

- Create a new MESAPI project in the Chat API personal account;
- Fill out the registration form;
- Link the card and subscribe;
- Generate an API KEY. Specify the API KEY in your personal account Chat API;
- At this stage, you will already be able to work with the number, send and receive messages, but with some restrictions. To expand the number's capabilities, you need to verify your business. More about verification in this article;
- Enjoy the work of the official messengers Business API.

How long does it take to connect?

With the help of a new approach to registration (through registration with deferred verification), you get access to the messengers Business API almost instantly.Registration takes no more than 5 minutes.

What numbers will work for the messengers Business API?

Any numbers are suitable for working with the messengers Business API, as long as they are at the same time:

1 - Had the opportunity to receive messages\ calls for verification;

2 - Have not been blocked in messengers.

You can also use a landline number, but you need IP telephony to work with it. If you have an IVR system installed, then you need to disable it when going through the number verification procedure.

If the number is already connected to the messengers Business API through another API provider, then such a number can also be transferred to the Chat API using the number migration procedure.

You can learn more about the features of choosing a number for messengers Business API in this article.

Important! A number connected to the messengers Business API cannot function in messengers applications. Before you start connecting the number, you need to delete your messengers account. Read more here.

Can a non-legal entity connect a messengers Business API number?

Comp Business Manager is a tool for working with businesses, so to get an FBID (the necessary parameter for connecting MESAPI), you need to have a legal entity or the status of an individual entrepreneur. You must be an organization and have documents that will confirm this, everything else depends on the forms of legal organization in your country.

How do I get a green check mark in messengers?

The provision of a green mark and the status of an “Official Business Partner” is determined by Comp itself and sets the following criteria:

- Verification in Comp Business Manager;
- Access to messengers Business API and compliance with Comp policies;
- Two-factor authentication in Comp Business Manager;
- The second and higher level of trust in the MESAPI number;
- A well-known and recognizable brand.

Tips, instructions and pitfalls are described in detail in this article. We help all our clients to get a green check mark for free.

How much does it cost to connect messengers Business API?

The cost of working with the MESAPI number is divided into two segments:

1 - monthly payment for hosting the number - 39$ per month or 30$ if the subscription is issued for a year.

2 - payment for open dialogues with the client, more about this here.

Each month you have 1,000 free conversations. Above a thousand conversations you will be charged according to the rate.

We wrote more about price formation and payment procedure in this article.

Discounts based on quantity.

You can have as many instances as you want in your personal cabinet, and the more instances you connect, the more favorable the price becomes for each individual instance. The "system" of discounts is as follows:

1-5 instances $39 /per instance;
6-20 instances $34 /per instance;
21-50 instances $29 /per instance;
51-100 instances $19 /per instance;
101-500 instances $15 /per instance;
501+ instances $9 /per instance.

Cancellation of subscription. The reserve month rule.

Pay attention to, perhaps not the fairest, but mandatory rule of mutual settlements, which is declared by the API provider. For simplicity, we called this rule "Reserve Month".

If you decide to abandon the messengers Business API and delete the number, the payment procedure will be as follows:
- Firstly, the funds for the month in which the number was deleted will be debited in full, even if you delete the number in the first days of the month.
- Secondly, for the month following the month in which the number was deleted, money will also be debited, as for a fully working messengers Business API period.

We also believe that this is not entirely fair, now this procedure is being discussed and, we hope, it may be changed soon, we will definitely notify you about it.

If you cancel your subscription or there are not enough funds on the card, the number is blocked until the circumstances are clarified.

Message Templates

These are the Comp-approved form and content of messages that are used to open a dialogue with the client. Read more about it in this article

Dialog “Window” in 24 hours

This is a time interval that begins from the moment of initiation of communication and ends 24 hours after the first delivered client message in the dialog. All messages inside the 24-hour window are free and free from the use of templates.

messengers Business App and messengers Business API

These concepts are often confused. messengers Business App is a business application that has advanced functionality for working with the messengers application itself. messengers Business API is an interface or gateway that will allow you to automate and optimize communication with users using bots or operators connected to messengers via CRM systems or other platforms.

Display name

These is the user or company name displayed on messengers. Read more about this in this article.

Registration with deferred verification

A new approach to customer registration at MESAPI. Characterized by the fact that you immediately get an active number. Read more about this in this article.