All you need to know about WhatsApp Business Accounts!
How do I create a WhatsApp Business account? What is the difference between WhatsApp, WhatsApp Business and WhatsApp Business API? How do I verify my WhatsApp Business Account? What are the benefits and costs of a WhatsApp Business Account? How do I get the green tick on WhatsApp?
An overview of the topics:
- What is a corporate account on WhatsApp?
- What is the difference between WhatsApp and WhatsApp Business?
- What are the advantages of a WhatsApp Business Account?
- Can any company set up a WhatsApp Business Account?
- What are the costs for a WhatsApp Business Account?
- Which number can I use for WhatsApp Business?
- Set up a company account for WhatsApp Business – step by step process
- How do I get a green tick for my WhatsApp Business Account?
- The software solution that lets you get started with your WhatsApp business account in just a few days
What is a Business Account on WhatsApp?
We all know about the “WhatsApp App” from private communication. In the business and enterprise sector, there are also official business solutions from WhatsApp since 2018: an app and an API!
A) WhatsApp App: For private use only
✋⛔ This app is for private communication only. The WhatsApp terms of use exclude commercial use. GDPR and data protection are also not guaranteed here! Additionally, not only companies need to be cautious of competitors and data protection authorities, but also face the possibility of blocking of WhatsApp and even Facebook accounts!
B) The WhatsApp Business App: The Free App for Small Businesses
WhatsApp Business is a free app designed specifically for small business owners. But beware: even with the free business app you have privacy issues!
👉Advantages and disadvantages of WhatsApp Business App!
C) WhatsApp Business API: the GDPR-compliant WhatsApp business account solution
Since August 2018, exists a business solution for larger companies – the official WhatsApp Business API. It is aimed at medium and large companies. Unlike the app, the API is not free and companies need “WhatsApp Business Solution Providers” like MessengerPeople to get access to the API interface.
💡 All about the WhatsApp Business API
What is the difference between WhatsApp and WhatsApp Business?
What are the benefits of having a WhatsApp business account via the WhatsApp Business API?
- 👨⚖️ Your WhatsApp service is GDPR compliant
- 🤖 You can implement chatbots
- 💻 You can edit and reply to messages centrally in the team, all via desktop
- ✔️ The green tick shows your customers that it is a trusted channel
- 😎 You don’t have to worry about getting a warning or having your WhatsApp service blocked
Can any company set up a WhatsApp business API account?
Only businesses or services that comply with the WhatsApp Commerce Policy can use the WhatsApp Business API. You will not get an official WhatsApp Business account if your business is related to, for example:
- Drugs/medicines
- Tobacco products and related accessories
- Alcohol
- Unsafe food supplements
- Weapons, ammunition, or explosives
- Medical and health products
- Adult/sexual products or services
- Gambling services where money is involved
- Dating agencies
- Bitcoins etc.
The entire list under: whatsapp.com/legal/commerce-policy
What are the costs for a WhatsApp business account for companies?
The cost of using the WhatsApp Business API depends on the way you choose to use it
A) The “standalone” API. However here you have to plan developer resources yourself, which integrate the API to your systems. If you are interested in this, there is also an ONLY WhatsApp API solution from us!
B) A professional messenger software solution, like our Messenger Communication Platform. With it, you can immediately start with your WhatsApp business account and our team supports you in the entire verification process. In addition, intuitive tools are available in the solution, with which you can set up a chatbot, for example. With MessengerPeople you pay a monthly fee for the connection to the WhatsApp Business API inclusive of a professional software solution.
💡 If you want to send push notifications via your WhatsApp business account, you should know that WhatsApp charges a fee per message. We charge this one-to-one, without any surcharge to you. More information about WhatsApp Notifications!
Which number can I use for WhatsApp Business?
Your WhatsApp service channel has only one number. Just bring this number with you when you become a MessengerPeople customer – our onboarding service team will be happy to help you.
- Any number is possible
- Landline numbers also work as WhatsApp service numbers
- Existing numbers can also become a WhatsApp service number (if you already offer a phone service number, for example).
- 0800 numbers are also theoretically possible
Set up a company account for WhatsApp Business – step by step process
This is what you need to start the verification process for your WhatsApp Business account
- Phone number for the planned WhatsApp service
❗ A phone number may only be used for one WhatsApp application, i.e. your number may not be used for verification for the private WhatsApp app or the Business app at the same time!
Attention: Once the phone number has been used for the WhatsApp Business API, it can no longer be used for the other WhatsApp applications! Therefore, you surely do not want to submit your private number by mistake 😉
- Name for your WhatsApp company account (namely display name) – this should be as close as possible to your official company name.
🤓 Your WhatsApp account name should be as close as possible to the name/company name that you also use in Facebook Business Manager. Example: In Facebook Business Manager we are listed under “MessengerPeople GmbH” and our WhatsApp business account display name is “MessengerPeople Support”.
- The ID of your Facebook Business Manager account – you can find this when you log in via https://business.facebook.com/, ID is displayed directly in the URL!
💡 Facebook Business Manager is a tool that allows you to not only manage your actions on Facebook but also on platforms that belong to Facebook, such as WhatsApp. The Facebook Business Manager account is different from a Facebook Business Page. If you do not already have a Facebook Business Manager Account, you can find all the information on how to create a Facebook Business Manager account here. For WhatsApp to be enabled, your Facebook Business Manager account must also be verified as a company account, e.g. by uploading an extract from the commercial register. Read more here.
- Media companies must be listed on the News Page Index
Option 1 – Setup with the help of our team
1. Enter this data into the Messenger Communication Platform
3. Accept our request to connect in your Facebook Business Manager
Our team will then use your information to create an official WhatsApp Business Account for you on WhatsApp and send you a “connection request” to your Facebook Business Manager account. You must accept and confirm this request. This sends your WhatsApp business account to WhatsApp for verification. WhatsApp then checks whether your account complies with the commerce policies and accordingly approves your account. This usually takes no longer than 24 hours.
❗ To be able to view and accept our “Connection Request” in the Facebook Business Manager account, you must be an admin of the account.
4. Completion of the process by entering a verification code
Once your WhatsApp Business account has been approved by WhatsApp, the process must be completed by entering a verification code. Our team will arrange a short appointment with you and organize for you to receive this code by phone or SMS. We will then submit this code to the system and your WhatsApp Business Account will be live.
❗ The code can be received by SMS or phone call from you. For an SMS, a mobile phone number must be stored. The call can be received via any phone number. You just have to make sure that the number is not busy or that there isn’t an automatic greeting or hotline announcement.
Option 2 – Embedded SignUp
With the help of the Embedded SignUp, you can verify your desired WhatsApp phone number independently, directly and quickly. This can reduce the verification process to a few minutes. All the necessary steps can be combined into a single process – connecting Facebook Business Manager, creating a WhatsApp Business account and verifying the phone number.
The Embedded SignUp is done in 3 simple steps:
- Link your Facebook Business Manager to the MessengerPeople platform and click on “Get Started”. After that, the connection to Facebook is established.
Embedded SignUp Step 1
Embedded SignUp Step 2
- Create a WhatsApp Business Account (WABA Account). Create a display name for your WABA account and choose the category that best suits your business.
Embedded SignUp Step 3
Embedded SignUp Step 4
3. Verify your phone number – you can choose between an SMS (for mobile numbers) and a phone call (for landline numbers). Then enter the 6-digit code that you were given in the field provided.
After the “Verify” button is clicked, the phone number is verified and you can communicate with the users directly through our Messenger Communication Platform and the embedded SignUp process is finished.
How do I get a green tick for my WhatsApp corporate account?
WhatsApp distinguishes between a regular and an official WhatsApp Business account. The official one is marked with a green tick badge. We can apply for this tick for you. Our experience has shown that it is best to do this after a few weeks when there has already been some traffic on your WhatsApp Business account. If a verification process for the green tick is not successful, you can repeat it later – several times if necessary.
❗ Even without a green checkmark, your WhatsApp channel is a verified channel and this will be shown to your customers in the chat with the message “This chat is with a business account.”!
Use WhatsApp Business professionally! With the Messenger Communication Platform from MessengerPeople!
With our software solution “Messenger Communication Platform” you can…
- 👨⚖️ … Use WhatsApp – via the official WhatsApp Business API – and other messaging apps in a GDPR-compliant way in customer communication
- 🚀… start without IT effort and in the shortest possible time – even from a work-from-home setup!
- 💻… Edit and reply to all messages centrally – no matter from which messenger
- ↔ … assign the requests as tickets to your colleagues manually or automatically via auto-routing
- 🤖 … easily set up automation using our simple chatbot builder which is free of charge
- 💰 … use the No. 1 communication channel effectively and at fair pricing and without a set-up fee for maximum personal digital consulting!
ou can get a first impression of our product here:
👉Tip: Schedule a live demo for the Messenger Communication Platform now. We will guide you through the product via web demo and give you expert tips as well as answers to all your questions.
