For starters, a WhatsApp business account can be classified as either an “Official Business Account” or a regular “Business Account”. However, companies using WhatsApp Business cannot request or pay to transform their “Business Account” into an “Official Business Account”. I’ll explain later.
Only companies chosen by the platform are classified as “Official business account” on WhatsApp. The classification of companies as an “official business account” is based on several factors, such as whether the company’s brand is known.
Who defines this is not the company, but WhatsApp. Therefore, it is interesting to understand that the contact comes from WhatsApp itself, due to the use that this company makes of it.
That said, any company account using the WhatsApp Business app will be classified as a “Business account”. It is important to fill out your company profile with all possible and useful information. This information will help customers.
This is what WhatsApp calls a “business profile”, with the business name, address, category and description. You can also include a catalog with your products and services, your business email and links to your company’s website and social networks.
Business account on WhatsApp
Among company accounts, you will see three types.
Green Tick
WhatsApp has verified that the account belongs to an authentic brand.
A verified account has a green icon with a tick in its profile.
Confirmed
WhatsApp confirmed that the phone number for this account matches the phone number for the company. A verified account has a gray icon with a tick.
Business account (yours)
This account uses the WhatsApp Business app, but has not yet been confirmed or verified. A business account has a gray icon with a question mark in its profile (in the application of those who are talking to this company).
How to have a confirmed business account on WhatsApp
Since you cannot interfere to have a verified account, you can at least have a verified account. Which already guarantees more credibility to customers who make contact.
How to confirm your number on WhatsApp Business
You need to meet some requirements:
- You can only verify a phone number that belongs to you. To do this, you can use a cell phone number or a landline (yes!);
- The number to be confirmed must be able to receive calls (fixed) or SMS messages (mobile);
- You need to disable all call blocking applications or settings, in addition to “task-killers”;
- To confirm a cell phone number, you will need to be connected to the internet via Wi-Fi or mobile data. If you are roaming or if your signal is weak, the confirmation process may fail;
- If you want to confirm a landline, tap “Call me” to request a call to receive your confirmation code by audio message.
Knowing this, just register normally, but using WhatsApp Business.
According to WhatsApp, landline extensions are not compatible with the confirmation process. Use a phone number that is not an extension. The six-digit code can only be sent to the primary number you wish to use for your business account.
About business account names verified on WhatsApp
If you are waiting for a check, it is important to keep an eye on the rules. The account name must represent the name of the company or organization in question.
To be eligible for an “Official Business Account”, names cannot contain:
- All capital letters, except acronyms. Only the first letter of each word must be capitalized, with the exception of conjunctions. For example:
- Correct: Central Bakery
- Incorrect: CENTRAL BAKERY
- Company names must use a single space between words;
- Unnecessary punctuation;
- Emoji;
- Symbols (for example: ®);
- Consecutive non-alphanumeric characters;
- Special characters: ~! @ # $% ^ & * () _ + :; “‘{} [] \ | <>, / ?;
- Any variations of the word “WhatsApp”;
Nor can company names be:
- A person’s full name;
- A generic term (for example “fashion”);
- A generic geographical denomination (for example, New Delhi);
- Contain less than three characters.
Important:
- If your account is classified as an “Official Business Account”, changing your company name may result in loss of status as an “Official Business Account”.
- Commercial accounts always apply to companies, never to people, even if they are public. This differs from how Instagram, Facebook and Twitter verify accounts.
With information: WhatsApp 1, 2 and 3