a WhatsApp number ready to connect, or the one you already have.
heysteff gives you a dedicated number from Chile (+56 2) or Mexico for USD 15 a month, added to your paid plan, and you connect it to the official WhatsApp API through Meta's guided signup. If you already have a number, you connect it without changing it: through the official API, through coexistence or by QR.
The ways to run WhatsApp on heysteff
| Option | Who it's for | What you pay for the number | Keep in mind |
|---|---|---|---|
| heysteff dedicated number | You don't have a number for the API or don't want to use a personal one | USD 15 a month per number (USD 180 a year on an annual plan) | Chile (+56 2) or Mexico; up to 5 per workspace |
| Your number on the official API | You have a number that isn't in any WhatsApp app | Nothing to heysteff for the number | Goes through Meta's guided signup |
| Coexistence | Your number is already in the WhatsApp Business app on your phone | Nothing to heysteff for the number | Stays on the phone; contacts and up to six months of chats are imported |
| QR | You want to start today with the number you already use | Nothing to heysteff for the number | Unofficial connection; WhatsApp may restrict it if it detects many messages in a row |
| heysteff shared number | You haven't connected a number yet and want to ask for reviews or test your agent | In the Shopify app, Meta's per-message cost plus 10% | It's a heysteff number shared by many merchants, not one with your brand |
On the official API options, what Meta charges for each message is separate: Meta bills your WhatsApp Business account directly and heysteff adds no markup.
How the dedicated number works
In Channels → WhatsApp you choose to get a number and pick the country. heysteff buys the number right then for your workspace and adds it to your plan's subscription. Then you open Meta's window, choose to add a new number and type in the number and the name your customers will see.
You don't need a SIM card or a phone. Meta sends a verification code (by SMS in Chile, by voice call in Mexico), and that code reaches heysteff and shows up in Channels for 30 minutes so you can copy it into Meta's window. Once done, the number lives in your WhatsApp Business account and your account pays Meta for messages, as with any official number.
In Chile the numbers are from Santiago (+56 2). If you stop using the number, you release it and billing stops; the unused part of the billing period stays as credit on your next invoice. While it's connected to WhatsApp it can't be released: if someone else bought it afterwards, they would receive your account's codes.
heysteff's shared number
It's an official heysteff number that sends on behalf of merchants who haven't connected their own yet. It's used to ask for reviews from heysteff's Shopify app, to send alerts to your team (for example, if a QR connection drops) and to test your agent by writing to it as if you were a customer.
It has limits on purpose: many merchants share it, so it doesn't carry your brand, you can't create your own templates on it and it isn't for campaigns to your customers. It's a bridge while you connect your number.
When your own number or coexistence makes more sense
If your customers already write to a number that's in the WhatsApp Business app, coexistence is almost always the answer: the number stays on the phone, heysteff imports your contacts and up to six months of conversations, and the agent pauses on its own when someone on your team replies from the app.
A dedicated number makes sense when you're starting a new line (a new brand, a branch, a country) or when the only number you have is your personal one. And QR lets you start in minutes with the number you already use, knowing it isn't an official route. The Meta process is covered in this guide.
If you integrate heysteff through its API, the developer plans also include a United States number already verified by Meta, which you pick inside the same guided signup (developer documentation).
Frequently asked questions
Where can I get a WhatsApp Business API number in Chile or Mexico?
heysteff provides dedicated numbers from Chile (+56 2) and Mexico for USD 15 a month, added to your paid plan. You get it in Channels → WhatsApp, connect it in Meta's guided signup, and the verification code shows up in heysteff, with no SIM card or phone.
How much does a heysteff WhatsApp number cost?
USD 15 a month per number, or USD 180 a year if your plan is annual, added to your paid plan's subscription. Up to 5 per workspace; messages are paid separately to Meta.
Can I use the same number in the WhatsApp Business app and the API?
Yes, with Meta's coexistence. The number stays in the app on your phone and is also connected to the official API in heysteff; what your team sends from the phone appears in the conversation and the agent pauses there so it doesn't reply twice.
Do I need a SIM card or a phone for the dedicated number?
No. Meta's verification code reaches heysteff (by SMS in Chile, by voice call in Mexico) and you see it in Channels for 30 minutes to copy it into Meta's window.
What is heysteff's shared number and when is it useful?
It's a heysteff number that sends on behalf of merchants without their own number: it's used to ask for reviews from the Shopify app, for alerts to your team and to test your agent. It doesn't carry your brand or accept your templates or campaigns, so it's a bridge while you connect yours.
What happens to the number if I cancel my plan?
If the number isn't connected to WhatsApp, it's released when you cancel. If it is connected, it's held without charge until you disconnect the channel, so nobody else can receive your account's codes; if you subscribe to a plan again, it's billed on that plan.
◆ next step
Create your workspace, connect your number or get one, and let Steff handle the replies.