How does Sinch provide WhatsApp assets and functionality to ASPs?

[Sam_Williams]

Sinch provides its WhatsApp services to ASPs by participating in a partner solution. Meta partner solutions allow the parties of the solution to share WhatsApp assets and services. These partnerships are between Tech Providers (or Tech Partners, which are upgraded Tech Providers) and Solution Partners.

Your business acts as the Tech Provider, and Sinch is considered the Solution Partner. Therefore, in order to gain access to Sinch's WhatsApp services as an ASP, you must:

• Become a Tech Provider in Meta's environment
  
  
• Add Sinch as a Solution Partner
  
  
• Complete partner configuration on the Sinch Customer Dashboard
  
  

These procedures, and the corresponding prerequisites, are described in the subsections below.

Note: The instructions below include summarized procedures detailed in Meta's corresponding documentation. These procedures have been streamlined for use in Sinch's environment. Links to the original documentation are included throughout this article.

Prerequisites

The procedures described in this article involve the creation of a Meta Business Account, the creation and configuration of a corresponding app, and configuration steps that take place in the Sinch Customer Dashboard. Before attempting these procedures, ensure  that you have the following materials available.

Required materials for Meta Business Account and app creation

Note: Third-party software requirements are subject to change at any time. Any descriptions of third-party software are included only as an aide, and may not represent the current requirements of the software or tool.

In order to create a Meta Business Account and corresponding app, you must have:

• A personal Facebook account with which you can confirm your identity
  
  
• A unique image to use when you create your app.
   
  • Image dimensions must be between 512 x 512 and 1024 x 1024 pixels
    
    
  • Image must be in JPEG, GIF, or PNG format
    
    
  • Image file size must be no greater than 5 MB
    
    
• Contact information for a Data Protection Officer for your app, if you will be conducting business in the EU
  
  
• A URL to the Privacy Policy for your app
  
  
• A URL to instructions or a callback that allows users to delete their data from your app
  
  

Required materials for Sinch configuration steps

In order to complete the configuration of your solution on the Sinch Customer Dashboard, you must have:

• A postpaid, ASP Sinch account.
  
  
• Access to the Sinch Customer Dashboard
  
  

Becoming a Tech Provider

Note: Third-party software is subject to change at any time. Any descriptions or images of third-party software are included only as an aide, and may not represent the current version of the software or tool.

In order to gain access to Sinch's WhatsApp services as an ASP, your business must exist as a Tech Provider in Meta's system. Therefore, you must create a Meta Business Account that meets the Tech Provider requirements. This is done in the Meta Business Manager or the Meta Business Suite. Then, you'll create a Meta app from Meta's developer site and add WhatsApp to it.

To create a Meta Business Account that meets the Tech Provider requirements:

1. Create a Meta Business Account using either the Meta Business Manager or the Meta Business Suite.
   
   
2. Navigate to your My Apps page of the Meta for Developers site. Click an available Create App button to create a new app.
   
   
   
   
3. Complete the corresponding process. When selecting a type, select the Business type. Note that you may have to select Other prior to selecting Business.
   
   
   
   After you complete the process, your app's App Dashboard is displayed.
   
   
4. Navigate to the newly created app's App settings and confirm that you have provided the requisite assets and pieces of information. Review the Prerequisites section of this document to ensure you have all the appropriate materials to complete this process. Also, ensure that the category of the app is set to Messaging.
   
   
5. Click the Dashboard tab. Add WhatsApp to your app and complete the corresponding process.
   
   
   
   
6. Complete any remaining steps required for Business Verification. You may review our articles on why the Business Verification process may be necessary, what to expect, and troubleshooting tips if you run into any issues.

Adding Sinch as a Solution Partner

Note: Third-party software is subject to change at any time. Any descriptions or images of third-party software are included only as an aide, and may not represent the current version of the software or tool.

After becoming a Meta Tech Provider, you must assign Sinch as a Solution Partner.

To assign Sinch as a Solution Partner:

1. If you aren't already on your app's App Dashboard, navigate there by clicking on your app from the Apps page.
   
   
   
   Your app's App Dashboard is displayed.
   
   
2. Select Partner Solutions under WhatsApp. Click Create a partner solution.
   
   
   
   
3. Complete the form by entering a name for your solution and Sinch's partner App ID: 289362245923081
   
   
4. Click Send request. The status of your request is Pending, and the new Partner Solution is displayed in the Partner Solutions panel. 
   
   
   
   Contact your account manager and inform them that you have submitted the request.
   
   
5. Once Sinch approves the request, the corresponding Partner Solution is set to Active.
   
   
   
   Confirm that your Partner Solution is Active and record your Partner Solution's Solution ID before advancing to the next procedure.
   
   

Completing the configuration

Once you have successfully added Sinch as a Solution Partner, you must complete your configuration on the Sinch Customer Dashboard.

To complete your configuration:

1. Navigate to the Sinch Customer Dashboard.
   
   
2. Click the WhatsApp tab and navigate to the reseller configuration page.
   
   
3. Populate the Meta Solution ID field with the Solution ID you saved from the previous procedure.
   
   
4. Save your configuration.