whatsapp business plan

• Website chat Bring modern messaging to your website
• WhatsApp Support customers on the #1 messaging app
• Facebook Messenger Connect to the social network
• SMS The universal messaging channel
• Threema The most secure messaging app
• Telegram The popular alternative
• Instagram COMING SOON Message with your followers
• Message Center Your shared messaging inbox
• Chatbots & AI With GPT-4 Automate the right way
• Video calls Easily switch from chat to video
• Data Privacy & GDPR Born and hosted in Germany
• Add-ons Connect your favorite tools
• Enterprise features Tackle support at scale
• Blog Explore insights about customer service and more
• E-books Free resources to learn and grow
• Customer stories This is what success looks like with Userlike
• Partners See our partners or apply to become one
• Professional services Our workshops for personalized guidance
• Help center Learn everything you need to know about Userlike

WhatsApp Business Pricing: What Costs You Can Expect

More than 50 million companies are already using WhatsApp in their customer communication. But how much does WhatsApp Business cost and is it actually worth it?

Today's customers prefer convenience. Chatting instead of calling. Online shopping instead of in-store shopping.

Whatsapp Business lets companies respond to changing user behavior and be available on a channel their customers already use every day.

The benefits of WhatsApp for businesses are clear. But what costs should you expect if you want to offer WhatsApp support?

This article will give you a brief overview of how to set up WhatsApp Business and what costs you can expect for the WhatsApp Business App and the WhatsApp Business API.

• WhatsApp Business App - Free app for small teams
• How much does the WhatsApp Business App cost?
• WhatsApp Business Premium - Paid version of the WhatsApp Business App
• How much does WhatsApp Premium cost?
• WhatsApp Business Platform - Professional customer messaging for small and large companies
• How much does the WhatsApp Business Platform cost? (+table)
• How to quickly and easily get started with WhatsApp Business

1 Free WhatsApp Business App

The WhatsApp Business App was developed for small businesses with up to five employees. It’s an ideal solution for small, local businesses that don’t have a professional service department, such as Hofladen Sauerland.

The app works similarly to the private WhatsApp people use to talk to friends and family. It also offers businesses some handy additional features for efficient messaging support such as quick replies, a catalog and broadcasts.

One disadvantage is that the WhatsApp Business App is limited to a single employee account, which makes it not suitable for professional customer service - for example, you can’t track which employee sent which messages. Depending on how it’s set up, it’s also problematic in terms of data protection and isn't GDPR-compliant.

WhatsApp Business app at a glance

• Accounts: 1
• Connectable devices: 5
• Assign chats to employees: No
• Approved WhatsApp newsletters: No
• Sales and support features: Basic features
• Privacy compliant: No

2 How much does the WhatsApp Business App cost?

The WhatsApp Business App is free to download from the App Store and the Google Play Store. You can find our step-by-step guide on how to set up your WhatsApp Business account in our article: “WhatsApp Business Account from app to z - features, costs, setup.”

Only one number may be used per WhatsApp account. If you use your existing private number, your account will be converted into a WhatsApp Business account.

We recommend using a new number for WhatsApp Business. This means you’ll need a new SIM card and either another cell phone or a dual-SIM-capable smartphone.

3 WhatsApp Business Premium: Paid version of the WhatsApp Business App

WhatsApp Business Premium is a subscription model of WhatsApp Business that adds more features to the WhatsApp Business App. Currently, these are the two features you get with WhatsApp Business Premium:

• The number of linkable devices is increased from four to 10. This means WhatsApp Business Premium subscribers can use a total of 11 devices. Just like the basic version, you can only use a smartphone; all other devices must be desktop-based. Tablets are also excluded. You can also assign chats to specific employees to better organize team collaboration.
• In the basic version, the automatically generated "WhatsApp website" for your company consists of a brand name and profile picture. In the premium version, opening hours, address, a link to your website and the WhatsApp catalog are added. In the basic version, the link to the website is created based on the phone number (the so-called wa.me link ), but in the premium version you can choose your own link name, which redirects to your company overview (as long as it’s not already taken). The WhatsApp website shows the information you store in the WhatsApp Business App. For example, if you change the opening hours in your WhatsApp Business profile, it will also reflect on the website.

WhatsApp Business Premium is worthwhile for your company if you’re happy with the business app's feature range but plan to add more employees and want to keep a better overview of who answers which chats. However, WhatsApp Business Premium isn’t suitable for mid-sized and large companies. It still lacks many support features that are standard in professional chat support, such as employee routing, forwarding and chatbots. WhatsApp offers the WhatsApp Business API for this purpose.

The data protection situation is also a problem for WhatsApp Premium. Since it can access the connected smartphone’s phone book, numbers are passed on to WhatsApp without consent. This doesn’t happen with the API.

WhatsApp Business Premium app at a glance

• Connectable devices: 11
• Assign chats to employees: Yes
• Sales and support features: Advanced basic features

4 How much does WhatsApp Premium cost?

WhatsApp Premium is currently only available to select WhatsApp Business users. You can easily check if you’re eligible by opening the settings in the WhatsApp Business App. If the menu item "Premium" is listed, you can sign up for the subscription. You also have the option to sign up for a free trial month.

WhatsApp has yet to publicly share the prices for the Premium subscription.

5 WhatsApp Business Platform

The WhatsApp Business Platform is designed to meet the needs of businesses with professional service teams. It’s used by small and large businesses from car dealerships to language schools to brands like Decathlon and Toyota.

One of its many advantages is that it’s scalable and adapts easily to existing company processes.

With the connected customer messaging software, you get advanced sales and service features you can use in WhatsApp, such as intelligent routing to the most appropriate employee, automatic translations and chatbots. Also, only a WhatsApp Business Platform allows you to send approved WhatsApp promotional messages.

Most importantly, it’s GDPR-compliant, making it a secure option for WhatsApp support in business.

WhatsApp Business Platform at a glance

• Accounts: unlimited
• Connectable devices: unlimited
• Approved WhatsApp newsletters: Yes
• Sales and support features: Professional features for customer communication
• Privacy compliant: Yes

You can find more information about the WhatsApp Business Platform or WhatsApp API in our articles:

• WhatsApp Business API – Everything you need to know
• WhatsApp in Business – How to be GDPR-compliant in 2023
• WhatsApp Business API: Set up your account in 10 minutes with Userlike

6 How much does the WhatsApp Business Platform cost? (+table)

Unlike the app, the WhatsApp Business Platform is not available for free because of its extended feature range and focus on data protection.

Costs incur according to the monthly plan price for the customer messaging software, and - if you have more than 1000 conversations per month - for the amount of conversations. But let's go through the individual costs in detail.

Monthly costs

While you can download and set up the free WhatsApp Business App yourself, you can only get access to a WhatsApp Business Platform through a respective customer messaging provider, i.e. official WhatsApp partners.

The costs vary depending on the provider you choose, so it's worth comparing your options. With SinchEngage, for example, costs start at €499 per month.

Userlike offers WhatsApp for just €90 per month, starting with the Team plan.

WhatsApp Business: Privacy, examples and first steps

In this guide, you'll find all the important info you need for using WhatsApp in business.

Fees per conversation

WhatsApp charges cents per conversation (see the pricing table below). However, only if you exceed the monthly free quota of 1,000 conversations. Note that this free quota can only be used for service chats, i.e. conversations where a customer contacts you first. If you want to proactively write to customers, you can’t use the free conversations.

What counts as a "conversation"?

.A paid conversation includes a 24-hour session that begins as soon as the company writes to a customer or responds to a customer message. All messages sent and received within this 24-hour service window are covered by the session fee

Example: Shoe retailer Kicks initiates the conversation with a message template (1), the customer responds a short time later with a message (2). Kicks thanks them with a session message. WhatsApp only charges for one conversation for all three messages.

If the customer were to respond 24 hours later, this message would also be free of charge, because only the company can open a new chargeable 24-hour window. If Kicks doesn't thank her until 9 a.m. the next day, it costs them one conversation and a new 24-hour window opens.

Tip: If a Facebook or Instagram user clicks on your click-to-WhatsApp ad, you can chat with them for free for up to 72 hours instead of just 24. The user automatically switches from the social media platform to the WhatsApp chat. All messages within the next three days are completely free. WhatsApp calls these special cases “Free Entry Points.”

How much does a conversation cost?

If you use up the 1000 free support conversations for the current month, charges apply that vary depending on the country and who initiates the conversation. Conversations initiated by the user, i.e. usually classic support chats, cost approx. 8 cents in the United States.

For conversations initiated by the company, WhatsApp divides it into three use cases: Utility, Authentications, and Marketing messages. Each use case has its own fee. In the United States, the costs for a utility message is about 2 cents, an authentication about 1 cent, and for marketing content about 1 cent.

Conversations in different categories can run in parallel or overlap. For example, if you answer a customer's support question at 3 p.m., a conversation in the Support category will open. If you send him a newsletter at 7 p.m., a conversation in the Marketing category will open. There is a charge for both conversations. You can send as many session messages and support templates as you like until 3 pm. the next day. And you can send as many session messages and marketing templates as you like until 7 p.m. the next day.

WhatsApp Business Platform — Price chart 2024

Note: "User-initiated" does not mean that a company pays for WhatsApp messages from customers. Only when you reply and start a session is this considered a "user-initiated conversation." For example, you don't pay if you receive an unsolicited message and don’t respond. Receiving messages from your customers is always free with the WhatsApp Business API.

You can find a current price overview of WhatsApp at Meta for Developers.

Real-life examples for current pricing model (since June 2023)

Scenario 1: reply to support request within 24 hours with normal session messages.

• The customer sends a question about her reservation.
• The 24-hour service window does not start until Commercial Air delivers the reply message.
• If the airline responds immediately to the customer's message (e.g. "Happy to help. Have a nice flight"), there is no charge. If Commercial Air wants to respond or send a status update after the 24-hour window has expired, for example at 4 p.m. the next day, a new conversation will be charged.

Scenario 2: Automated transaction messages

• The customer wants to check her order with Kicks, an online shoe retailer. She sends her message at 1.13 p.m.
• Kicks uses a chatbot that responds to simple order requests and immediately provides the customer with delivery details at 1.13 pm.
• The next day, at 3:45 pm, the Kicks bot notifies the customer that her order has been delivered. This message is sent outside the 24-hour service window using a message template. Therefore, a new conversation is charged for this notification.

Scenario 3: WhatsApp campaign with multiple template marketing messages

Nivea drives customers to its Mother's Day campaign on WhatsApp via an ad on Instagram. As this is a free entry point, there is no charge for the conversation. Nivea can now exchange messages for free for 72 hours, in this case template messages from the "Marketing" category.

But what happens if the customer changes the subject during the campaign, e.g. has a question about the order?

If the customer hadn't been led to the campaign through one of the free entry points, an additional conversation would now open in the support category (with the associated fee). However, because the conversation was started from a free entry point, a special rule applies: you can send any template type and session messages for free for 72 hours, regardless of its content.

Scenario 4: Combining two categories in one message template

Markt sends the customer a shipping confirmation and includes a discount offer in the message. The conversation is then no longer categorized as a transaction, but as a marketing conversation. When two use cases are mixed in a message template, then the more expensive category always applies. This is similar to the 2-for-1 offers in fashion stores, where the price of the more expensive product is charged.

7 How to quickly and easily get started with WhatsApp Business

Leverage the potential of WhatsApp Business and upgrade your customer communication with the world's most popular messaging app. A spot in your customer’s contact list automatically bridges a close relationship, boosts customer satisfaction and provides better digital service thanks to innovative features.

The WhatsApp Business API is a powerful, GDPR-compliant solution that works for businesses of all sizes and industries. With Userlike, you can get access to the API for just $90 per month – including our WhatsApp Campaigns feature, which allows you to send your customers unique WhatsApp campaigns in the form of newsletters, brochures or individual offers.

Still, WhatsApp is not the only relevant messaging app. That’s why Userlike also provides access to more popular channels, such as website chat, Facebook Messenger, Telegram, Threema and SMS. All channels are combined into one business software for all your customer messaging needs.

If you’re interested, please feel free to reach out to us on our website. We look forward to hearing from you and guiding you as you get started with the WhatsApp Business API!

Additional WhatsApp resources

• WhatsApp Business API - Everything you need to know
• WhatsApp Business: Advantages and disadvantages at a glance
• 7 ways to use WhatsApp for business
• WhatsApp template messages: Rules, best practices and examples

Tamina is Head of Marketing at Userlike, passionate about personal growth and consumer behavior. Outside of work, she enjoys going on adventures with her dog.

Reach your customers on the #1 messaging app

• WhatsApp API
• Shared inbox

Educating Your Team on Using WhatsApp as a Marketing Channel

September 1, 2023

If you’re reading this post, chances are you understand the marketing power of WhatsApp.

Our platform has a wide reach with 2 billion users, 1 and we estimate more than 1 billion users connect with a business account across our messaging services every week. 2 And in Kantar’s research, 66% of respondents said they’re more likely to buy from a brand they can connect with over messaging. 3

Despite these benefits, getting your marketing team to adopt business messaging might not be a walk in the park. You’ll need to obtain legal and budget approvals like you would with any new software. You’ll also need buy-in from marketing team members, who might be concerned about learning a new platform.

Rest assured, the WhatsApp adoption process can be smooth and straightforward. Read on to learn how to build your first business messaging campaign, so you and your team can feel confident investing in WhatsApp.

Set up a WhatsApp Business Platform account

Before creating a messaging campaign, your team will need a Meta Business Account and a WhatsApp Business Platform account.

The sign-up process for creating a Business Account in Meta Business Manager only takes a few minutes. Just click “Create an Account” on the Meta Business homepage, select your business’ Facebook page, submit information about your company, and complete a few onboarding steps.

From there, you’re ready to create a WhatsApp Business Platform account .

• Open Facebook Business Manager.
• Under Business Settings, select WhatsApp Accounts.
• Click “Add”-> “Create a WhatsApp account.”
• Fill in necessary account details — account name, messaging purpose (indicating whether the account is for your business or a client), time zone, currency, payment method (optional), and purchase order number (optional)
• Add people to the account, and set their permission levels.
• Click “Assign.”

Once you finish these steps, you can manage your WhatsApp Business Platform account from Facebook Business Manager. Use Manager to create Message Templates for campaigns and check basic conversation analytics, like the number of sent and received messages.

Integrate WhatsApp with other communication platforms

Facebook Business Manager offers basic features for setting up WhatsApp messaging campaigns. But offering the best customer experience often means you’ll need to integrate WhatsApp with your tech stack. Popular tools to connect to WhatsApp include:

• Customer relationship management (CRM) platforms
• Customer success management (CSM) software
• Point-of-sale (POS) system
• Chatbot/conversational AI platforms

The Indian ecommerce company Tata CLiQ integrated its WhatsApp Business account with the chatbot-building service Gupshup. Thanks to this integration, Tata can automatically send custom messages based on shoppers’ history and product changes — like abandoned carts, price drops, browsing activity, and wish-listed items.

Tata saw significant campaign engagement and conversion improvements with these customized WhatsApp messages. The brand found that its WhatsApp messages had a 57% clickthrough rate , and people were 1.7 times more likely to make a purchase on the messaging platform than on other channels. Their Diwali and Black Friday WhatsApp campaigns even generated $500,000 in revenue — a ROI that’s 10 times higher than their other channels.

The steps for connecting WhatsApp with a Business Solution Provider vary depending on the tool, but the process is typically easy. You’ll need to share basic information about your business with the tool and verify your WhatsApp account. Contact your Provider’s support team to learn how you can set up the integration.

Identify marketing campaign goals and audience

Your WhatsApp Business Platform account and integrations are all set up. Now you’re ready for the fun part — brainstorming your first WhatsApp marketing campaign.

Just like marketing on other channels, your first step is determining the campaign’s goals and audiences. This information helps you decide the best entry points (more on these in the next section) and content for your WhatsApp campaign.

In terms of campaign goals, WhatsApp’s wide reach makes it perfect for generating leads. It’s also a powerful channel for nurturing prospects at the consideration stage. One-on-one chats with shoppers go a long way toward building their trust in your products and brand.

The Bolivian home goods store Multicenter uses WhatsApp for this purpose. The brand’s “Open House” campaigns for major holidays, like Black Friday and Oktoberfest, encourage shoppers to start a chat with an agent about their products.

“Through WhatsApp, we can provide personal attention that gives customers the confidence to move forward with big-ticket purchases at a broader scale,” said Multicenter’s Customer Service Operations Coordinator, Wilson Salomón Rojas Jimenez.

As you set your WhatsApp campaign goals and audience, consider checking out our resource, “Elevating Each Stage of the Funnel with Business Messaging.” It breaks down how brands can use business messaging campaigns to engage shoppers all across the customer journey.

Establish your entry points

With a goal and audience established, it’s time to consider the campaign’s entry point — the online and offline portals that lead shoppers to a WhatsApp chat with your brand. These points could be anything from your site’s “Chat with us!” button to a QR code on product packaging.

This step is so important because potential customers may not realize your company is on WhatsApp. An entry point makes it clear that they can chat with your brand. And chances are, many shoppers will be open to starting a conversation because they’re already comfortable using WhatsApp.

There are no “good” or “bad” entry points — you just have to consider which ones make the most sense for your audiences and campaign goals. A product label QR code that leads to WhatsApp will work for engaging existing customers but it likely won’t help bring in new leads.

Consider these entry point examples for your own WhatsApp campaign.

• Social media posts that lead to WhatsApp: A beauty company, for example, might create a Facebook post that encourages followers to ask the business’ experts their makeup and skincare questions and includes a link to WhatsApp.
• Ads that click to WhatsApp: These promotions appear on Instagram and Facebook and direct shoppers to WhatsApp conversations with your brand. Set up targeting for these ads to reach potential customers who match your ideal buyer profile. Learn more about engaging and nurturing leads with these promotions in this resource .
• Exit intent popups: Set these notifications up to increase WhatsApp sign-ups from people who are about to leave your website. The clothing company SNOCKS created an exit-intent popup that offered site visitors a discount if they opted in to WhatsApp communication. The brand grew its subscriber base to 100,000 people and generated over €1m in revenue from WhatsApp in less than a year.
• QR codes on brand materials: If you have a physical store, consider directing leads and customers to WhatsApp through QR codes at your business location. The Mexican supermarket franchise Merco used store signs and receipts to show QR codes that led to WhatsApp chats with the brand. With this entry point, the brand has increased its marketing database by 70% through WhatsApp.
• Website pages: Create a page with your WhatsApp number or a link to a chat so new leads and existing customers visiting your site can easily reach out. The Indonesian online grocery company Segari has a Help web page that lists the business’ WhatsApp number. 4 Segari’s engagement rate on WhatsApp is over 50%, so it’s a key channel for staying connected to customers.

Pick the best way to start a chat with potential customers by learning more about WhatsApp entry points in this resource .

Design your campaign message

Getting shoppers to start a WhatsApp chat with your brand is just half the battle. You’ll also need to set up a conversation flow for the campaign, so potential customers can start chatting with your brand right after your entry point.

Your campaign conversation starts with the initial greeting— the first message that shoppers see after the entry point. Set this message up to automatically appear, and then an agent or bot can pick up the conversation once the customer responds.

Say you’re running an ad that clicks to WhatsApp about a sofa for a home goods brand. The greeting might be, “Looks like you’re interested in our leather sectional. Do you have any questions about this product?”

After the greeting, your agent or chatbot will respond to customers’ messages. Your brand can send replies without asking for an opt-in during a set time period (the window varies depending on the entry point). Agents can create these responses live or leverage message templates for consistency.You can also define pre-set responses for your chatbot.

Once the conversation window passes, you’ll only be able to chat with these shoppers if they click on an entry point again or if they opt in to WhatsApp messages. In this initial conversation window, your agent can ask shoppers for their opt-in or you can set up a chatbot to make the request . A typical opt-in message is, “Would you like to receive messages from [insert brand name]? Tap “Yes” to sign up.”

For shoppers who opt in, chat with them at scale by creating message templates for marketing, utility, and authentication conversations. 5 You can make templates in Meta Business Manager or in a third-party communication tool, like a chatbot platform.

Throughout your conversation design, remember to get creative with your WhatsApp campaign messages. You can engage shoppers with a wide variety of content in your messages beyond text — like videos, images, stickers, documents, and buttons. Check out this resource for more ideas on creating media-rich messages.

And if you’re using a chatbot, consider creating your conversations with a platform like Landbot. It makes the design process simple with a drag-and-drop interface, so there’s no need for coding. You can even submit message templates for WhatsApp’s approval from the Landbot app. 6

Check your campaign’s performance

Once you start sending marketing messages, track your WhatsApp campaign performance to determine what’s working and where you can improve.

Track metrics that are tied to your campaign’s goals. For example, you might measure the number of users reached for a lead generation message. Along with gauging your objective, monitor your WhatsApp campaign costs and revenue to show your campaign’s value.

Marketing teams often track these metrics to gauge their WhatsApp campaign goals and returns:

• People reached
• Qualified leads
• Cost per qualified lead
• Conversions
• Increase in marketing database
• Cost per conversion

WhatsApp only tracks a few basic metrics on it’s own. To really monitor your campaign’s performance you’ll need to leverage the Conversions API which helps connect your marketing data to Meta’s platforms. This will require either in-house developer resources or a third-party solution to implement.

Test, iterate, repeat

You can’t read shoppers’ minds, but you can figure out what marketing resonates with your audience by experimenting with your WhatsApp messages. Use your reporting in the last section to hypothesize which campaign adjustments would lead to performance improvements. Then, A/B test these ideas by comparing campaigns with the variation to the control version of the message.

The general steps for A/B testing are:

• Decide which campaign message you’d like to test and which factor you’ll change , like a call-to-action or an image.
• Choose a metric to gauge the performance of each campaign variation.
• Build a large enough test audience to generate meaningful results.
• Send the campaign variations evenly across the audience.
• Measure results.

Along with changing an element of a message, you can also test how the same campaign message performs on WhatsApp compared to other channels. In this case, step one’s changing factor is just the channel. The campaign message needs to be identical across channels because any changes could create differences in results.

The easiest way to set up these experiments is to use a third-party communication tool with testing features, like Twilio. Users can A/B test WhatsApp message template variations and track results with Twilio’s Journey Analytics feature. 7

Keep shoppers engaged with WhatsApp marketing campaigns

We get it — your marketing team might find business messaging intimidating at first. If that’s the case, share this post with them. We want to make it easy for organizations to start creating WhatsApp campaigns with resources like this article.

But WhatsApp isn’t just simple to use. It’s also worth the investment because shoppers already enjoy messaging. Many people already connect with friends and family over WhatsApp, so they’re comfortable messaging brands, too.

Use campaigns to start one-on-one chats, and you’ll be on your way to building leads’ trust and driving sales. Try out WhatsApp Business Platform today .

Related Posts

The Ultimate Guide to Using WhatsApp for Business in 2021

Updated: February 04, 2021

Published: April 16, 2020

Does your business offer international services, but you've found it hard to connect with global customers in a personalized, cost-effective way? Do you, as a marketer, struggle with offering one-on-one experiences with customers when you're not online?

Marketing messages are hard, right? But they don't have to be. Allow me to introduce you to your new favorite app for customer relationships: WhatsApp .

Now, if you've just read that and thought, "WhatsApp? What's that? And how is an app going to help?" That's understandable.

Allow HubSpot's Head of Conversational Marketing, Connor Cirillo, to break it down: "WhatsApp has become the center of gravity for billions of users around the world. It's where we message the people we care about most — like our friends and family," he says.

He continues by noting that, "Businesses always want to build relationships and meet customers where they are. WhatsApp can become one of the most important marketing channels."

Even though the app is the most popular global mobile messaging service , WhatsApp commonly isn't known as a tool for businesses. For instance, just over 7% of marketers use WhatsApp for business .

However, while on the surface it may seem like WhatsApp is just another messaging service, there are tools built in the app that are great for maintaining strong customer relationships and cultivating lead generation.

But, what exactly is WhatsApp, and what does it do?

What is WhatsApp?

WhatsApp is a free mobile messaging app that allows users to communicate with friends and family. WhatsApp is used for group messaging, calls, and multimedia sharing, regardless of mobile device type. The app also allows for international communication between users.

To use WhatsApp, you have to download the app on your phone, or scan the QR code from a computer with your phone's camera. The app is available for desktop, but you need a phone in order to sign up.

Image Source

WhatsApp is appealing because, in most cases, the app is free to use, depending on your phone service's messaging rates. Additionally, it provides a centralized location for multiple group chats, multimedia sharing, and voice messaging.

Here, let's explore some ways those benefits can be used in WhatsApp for marketing efforts.

WhatsApp Marketing

If you want to remind your customers about promotions, offer accessible customer service options, or increase visibility, WhatsApp is a perfect tool for you. And, with the addition of WhatsApp Business , it's now easier than ever to build positive customer relationships.

More of a visual learner? I've got you. This video will walk you through everything you need to know about leveraging WhatsApp for business. 

With WhatsApp Business, you'll be able to offer personal customer support to your audience with automated messages and chatbot-like capabilities. So, if you're launching a new product, WhatsApp can automatically send the messages you've created to the customers you select.

Think of selecting customers being synonymous with audience segmentation — which you can do in the app using a broadcast list .

Additionally, if you have a global audience or customer base, you'll find it easy and cost-effective to connect with your international customers, since WhatsApp doesn't charge a fee for international communication. This helps you strengthen customer relationships abroad, and allows for quick-problem solving.

Next, we'll show you how you can use the tools provided in WhatsApp Business to make an effective WhatsApp marketing campaign.

How to create a WhatsApp Business profile

Making a WhatsApp Business account is easy, especially if you have the app already downloaded. If not, head over to your local mobile app store and type in " WhatsApp Business. " If you've already set up an account, the app will connect your account to a Business profile.

Next, accept the Terms and Conditions, and enter a phone number. (If you want to refrain from using your personal number, this is something you can change letter in Settings).

And then, you're all set! You can make your Business account look polished and professional from here. You can also begin to explore some of the business-specific functions available to you, like contact labels and short links.

Let's talk about some of the features you'll have to work with in WhatsApp Business.

First, you can list your company's contact information, such as email, address, and website link, in the "Business Profile" section, accessed by clicking "Business Settings". If you've ever seen a Facebook or Google Business profile, they're very similar. Your WhatsApp Business profile will be a quick view of your company.

Your Business profile will also be listed as one, so when you communicate with leads and customers, they will know they're talking to your business. Another identifier for customers is a green checkmark:

You'll see it added when your account is verified by WhatsApp, which involves the app making sure the information you've given to set up your profile is accurate.

You'll also be able to use labels to organize sales functions, access messaging metrics (such as stats on when messages are sent, delivered, and read), and build a catalog of products from your business. We'll get more into how these features can help your marketing strategy in the next section.

How to Use WhatsApp for Business

You can use WhatsApp for business efforts in a couple of different ways. Mainly, the app is used for communication and sharing, and that's the basis of using WhatsApp to your advantage. If you would like to incorporate WhatsApp Business into your own app or platform, you can also consider using WhatsApp Messaging API for your developers.

WhatsApp can be a powerful app to have in your toolkit. You can improve visibility, automate communication, and keep your workflow organized.

The app is also free to use and manage, so you won't be spending money downloading new software. Let's cover how some other ways to use WhatsApp as an asset for your company. 

1. Improve your business's visibility.

Similar to Facebook, WhatsApp allows businesses to have a Business page on the app. Your profile will offer important information for customers, such as location, description, website, and contact details. You can also add a catalog to your WhatsApp, like shown below:

Image S ource

The catalog tool lets you upload your products in bulk, so users can browse your offerings through the app. This tool is an easy way for customers to get an idea of what they can purchase from your business. Having a business page for your company increases the amount of possible customers who can interact with your business using the app.

For instance, let's say your customers want to know what your business offers, but don't feel like Googling it. If your catalog is set up, they'll be able to access your offerings before their attention is diverted to something else.

You can use catalogs to display a new product line, or feature your most popular products to entice your audience members.

2. Lessen the response time.

When you use WhatsApp Business, you can engage with customers directly. You can also automate messages using a chatbot, so your audiences can have their questions answered quickly.

Notice how you can save a few quick replies for your customers. This interactive "FAQ" undoubtedly cuts down on having to type, or copy-and-paste answers to common questions.

Think about providing a content offer with quick replies. For instance, you might configure your welcome message to ask about your new offerings, ( "Welcome! Would you like to know about our new sale?") , and include a quick reply that links back to your catalog, or another page or promotion.

3. Organize your duties.

WhatsApp offers different options for organization. First, you can organize your contacts using their label system. Alternatively, if you use a CRM that integrates with WhatsApp, like HubSpot, you can import your contacts directly from the CRM to the app, and manage conversations from there, like shown below:

If you can integrate WhatsApp with your CRM, you won't have to manually add contacts into the WhatsApp account. The two platforms will work together to import contact information onto your business dashboard.

Additionally, if you want to save the conversations you have with customers, you have that option with an integration. For example, HubSpot customers can access previous conversations on their HubSpot dashboard:

This will help you keep track of your customers and the relationships you grow with them. For more information about how to integrate your contact information with HubSpot, refer to this instructional post .

WhatsApp Marketing Campaign Examples

If you want to fit WhatsApp into a larger brand campaign, but are unsure how that will look, think of the app as a way to streamline communication in a way that's a little more personal, and easier to access, then email or a product page. Let's look at how some companies use WhatsApp.

1. Hellmann's Brazil

Tactic: Story-based chatflow conversations.

To help teach their younger audiences how to cook, the team at the Brazil headquarters of Hellmann's got to work, marketing through WhatsApp. This was an optimal choice for the team: WhatsApp is popular in Brazil , so their Brazilian audience would most likely already use the app.

This tool was a perfect addition to use in the campaign:

Here's how it works: After texting the Business profile, WhatsCook, with WhatsApp, users can ask the profile for recipes based on what they have in their fridge. Then, they can message the profile to get more direction, video-based instructions, or send photos of progress.

The profile offers multimedia directions, such as photo and video, to make the learning experience personalized. The app even texts you to remind you when the dish is done. With less than $900 invested, and four million people satisfied, Hellmann's had a home run.

The company used chatflows and labels to provide a choose-your-own-adventure story to connect with customers as part of their campaign to educate youngsters about cooking, all through text messages.

Think of how your customer service team would have an easier time organizing their contacts and helping customers with WhatsApp's quick messaging capabilities. They can create customized workflows using integrated software and upload them into WhatsApp.

Finally, if leads want to check out your business, they won't have to give it a Google search. They can just click on your user profile. These scenarios work for any type of business, and are some cost-effective alternatives to email marketing and international marketing.

2. Beck's Brewery

Tactic: Secondary app integration.

Beck's Brewery is an alcohol company that's popular in Europe, and focuses on legendary experiences. To make one for mobile phone users, their team created an app that integrates to WhatsApp, and offers a comic book theme for their chats:

This app promotes longer chats on WhatsApp, and increases brand awareness for Beck's Brewery as a brand. For instance, if a friend of a fan had never heard of the company before trying out the app, they'll learn about the brand when they try out the comic book-themed integration.

Maybe your company offers graphic design services, or is a software development company. The bright, designing minds at your company can use the WhatsApp API to come up with similar integrations to use as a promotional tool in part of your next campaign.

Tikkie is an app, available only in Europe, that lets its users repay small loans on their phone. The app is most notably used by global bank ABN AMRO to let users in the Netherlands make bank payments.

This can be done for customers using WhatsApp. To market this function, Tikkie's developers created a line of stickers that messengers can use in their chats to make them customizable, such as the ones shown below. Like other messaging apps such as Slack, these stickers add a funny, meme-able addition to chats:

These phrases, "Takes a long time," and "Paid!" are vague enough to be used in general conversations, funny enough to make an impact with younger customers, and branded enough to increase brand recognition with users choosing these stickers.

Though Tikkie isn't the first brand to use stickers for WhatsApp marketing ( For instance, these Star Wars stickers celebrated the franchise's 40th anniversary ), they highlight how you can use the money you save with a free app. This makes marketing messages more delightful for your customers.

To create a sticker campaign of your own, you can use this sample code provided by the app, after you read up on some best practices for creating stickers. Basically, make sure your sticker images have transparent backgrounds, is less than 100kb, and measures exactly at 512 x 512.

For more examples like these, be sure to check out these extra WhatsApp campaign examples .

Ultimately, it's important to keep in mind that WhatsApp shouldn't be a primary marketing tool, like a CRM or email marketing software. Instead, it should be a partner to advance your marketing messages.

If you have disorganized chatflow structures, and feel as if you can do more to build customer loyalty, give WhatsApp a try. You'll find a platform that's easy to use, integratable, and provides metrics about your performance to help you increase effectiveness over time.

Don't forget to share this post!

Related articles.

Demystifying Marketing's 6 Biggest Mixed Messages of 2024 with Jasper's Head of Enterprise Marketing

The Ultimate Guide to Marketing Strategies & How to Improve Your Digital Presence

9 Pivotal Marketing Trends to Watch in 2024, According to Experts

Diving Deep Into Marketing in Construction (My Takeaways)

11 Recommendations for Marketers in 2024 [New Data]

The Top 5 B2C Marketing Trends of 2024 [New HubSpot Blog Data + Expert Insights]

5 Marketing Trends That Might Not Survive in 2024 [HubSpot Research + Expert Insights]

Everything You Need to Know About Webinar Marketing

7 Marketing Questions Teams are Asking in 2024 (+Data & Insights)

50 Small Business Marketing Ideas for 2024

Outline your company's marketing strategy in one simple, coherent plan.

Marketing software that helps you drive revenue, save time and resources, and measure and optimize your investments — all on one easy-to-use platform

How To Connect With Your Audience Using WhatsApp Marketing

Interested in adding WhatsApp to your marketing strategy? Discover how to get started with WhatsApp marketing today.

Table of Contents

While you’ve probably already included platforms like X and Facebook in your social media strategy , WhatsApp could be equally important to your brand.

That’s right: WhatsApp isn’t just for texting your coworkers or video chatting with your family in a different city. It can be used for business, too.

In fact, WhatsApp Business was created specifically with small business owners in mind. It can help you connect with your customers and support them with immediate, personalized customer service.

If you’re considering adding WhatsApp to your brand’s marketing strategy, we’ll explore why that might be a good idea.

Bonus: Download our free WhatsApp for Customer Care guide to get more pointers on how to use WhatsApp Business to get higher conversion rates, better customer experience, lower costs, and higher customer satisfaction.

What is WhatsApp?

WhatsApp is a free messaging app owned by Meta.

WhatsApp is often used for messaging over wi-fi, creating group chats, and marketing by brands. You can download the app from the App Store or Google Play Store to communicate with friends, family, and businesses.

Its two billion monthly active users access the app for business or personal use because:

• It’s free. The only charges you might get are data roaming charges.
• It’s reliable. You can use WhatsApp to communicate with users all over the world—you just need access to mobile data or a wi-fi connection.
• It’s widely available. There are WhatsApp users in 180 different countries.
• It’s not just about texting. You can use WhatsApp for voice and video calls and share photos, videos, documents, or your location.

Manage all your messages stress-free with easy routing, saved replies, and friendly chatbots. Try Hootsuite’s Inbox today.

How can you use WhatsApp for marketing?

Interested in using WhatsApp as a marketing channel? Use these tactics to seamlessly bring this messaging app into the fold.

Send promotional messages

Have you invested in SMS marketing for your business? If not, consider using WhatsApp instead.

You can still connect with potential customers via short, text-like messages—but unlike standard texting, it’s free for your subscribers.

Source: WhatsApp Business

Send out product updates, marketing messages, shipping updates, and more through WhatsApp’s business platform.

Automate communication

You can easily automate conversations with your target audience using WhatsApp.

WhatsApp’s integrated chatbots allow you to send customers pre-made answers to commonly asked questions.

Here’s a great example of what this could look like:

Elevate your customer service

With a WhatsApp Business account, you can make your social media customer service more efficient and personal.

On top of serving as a channel for direct messaging, WhatsApp Business has several tools that you can use to improve customer experiences:

• Quick Replies : Save answers to commonly asked questions as templates and set up shortcuts. This will give you back the time you would spend typing out the answers to repeating questions. Plus, your customers will get their questions answered faster.

• Labels : Use labels to organize and categorize users and messages. This will help you sort messages by urgency and recognize returning customers. You can use pre-programmed labels or create new ones that make sense for your business.

• Away Messages and Greeting Messages: Set up these automated messages so your customer gets a response immediately, even if you’re unable to respond. This is a great way to set expectations for response times if a customer reaches out outside your business hours.

It doesn’t hurt that it’s easy and affordable to communicate with international customers via WhatsApp Business, either.

Showcase your products in a catalog

You can think of WhatsApp Business’s catalog tool as a mobile storefront. It lets your customers browse your products without leaving the app.

This tool is useful for highlighting new products, seasonal collections or bestsellers.

Here are a few key facts about the catalog:

• You can upload a maximum of 500 products or services.
• Each product or service can include a title, price, description, product code and link to the product on your website.
• Each product has an image.
• You can share links from the catalog in WhatsApp conversations.

Communicate with colleagues or employees

WhatsApp Business isn’t just for communicating with customers. It’s also a useful way to stay in touch with employees. More than 50% of workers use messaging apps like WhatsApp to communicate in the workplace.

The group chat feature lets you message up to 256 people at one time. It’s possible to send PDFs and other documents over WhatsApp business. Files can be up to 100MB.

Network with other professionals

Finally, you use WhatsApp to communicate with others in your industry. The app’s video call tool can be used in a professional networking capacity, just like Zoom or Skype.

You can even sync WhatsApp Business with your desktop, so those professional networking calls can be done from your office computer rather than your phone.

3 great examples of WhatsApp marketing

Wondering how WhatsApp can fit into your marketing and customer engagement strategies? Here are three examples and success stories from brands using WhatsApp.

Benefit Cosmetics

Benefit Cosmetics used the WhatsApp business platform to create a process that can automate bookings for brow and lip waxes, send appointment reminders, and offer additional customer service features.

WhatsApp makes it easy to send appointment reminders and info the client needs to remember for their appointment. If the client wants to modify or cancel their appointment, each message includes a link to the Benefit Cosmetics website.

Connecting this process to WhatsApp helped Benefit Cosmetics increase appointments by 30% and generate a 200% YoY increase in sales.

HolidayPirates

HolidayPirates is an international travel company that finds and shares travel deals with its audience.

The team recently incorporated WhatsApp into this process, quizzing subscribers on the types of trips they’re interested in so they can send the most relevant offers possible.

Once the results are in, HolidayPirates sends links to deals through WhatsApp so recipients can find and book the deal if interested.

This strategy works for HolidayPirates: their WhatsApp messages get a 97% open rate, 40% click-through rate, and 10x more subscriber engagement than email.

The State Plate

The State Plate is a food delivery company that operates throughout India. The company wanted to incorporate WhatsApp into its customer support strategy, making it easier to answer customer inquiries without requiring a hands-on approach.

The team uses several pre-set WhatsApp templates and messages so that customers can select their questions and get an immediate, automated answer.

Using WhatsApp allows the company to resolve 85% of its queries with a 90% decrease in response time.

How to get started with WhatsApp for business

Ready to start using WhatsApp for your company?

Before getting started, you need to decide what’s right for your company: the WhatsApp business app or the WhatsApp business platform.

WhatsApp Business App

The WhatsApp business app is just like the regular consumer messaging app, but it allows small businesses to message customers 1-on-1 about customer service issues, appointments, and more. However, unlike the consumer app, the business app supports up to four people using the same account to respond to messages.

If you’ve got a smaller team and want to get started with WhatsApp marketing immediately, the business app may be a better choice.

To get started with the WhatsApp business app, head to the App Store or Google Play Store to download it onto your smartphone.

Set the app up your business phone number—yes, even if it’s a landline—so you can start messaging directly from the number already associated with your business.

Add your business name, then make sure your customers know they can message you on WhatsApp.

WhatsApp Business Platform

The WhatsApp business platform is an API that businesses can use to integrate WhatsApp with their CRMs, bots, and other tools to create automations, promotional messages, and more. Most of the examples we’ve included above are using the business platform.

If your company has the resources available, the complex conversational tools available on the WhatsApp business platform might be right up your alley.

To get started with the WhatsApp business API, head to business.whatsapp.com . Then, click the Get Started button in the top right corner of the site.

You’ll then be greeted with the below screen:

Fill out the form to be contacted by a member of the WhatsApp sales team. They’ll fill you in on everything you can do with the WhatsApp business platform/API, talk about your planned usage, and get you set up with an account.

Then, you’ll be able to create your first message templates and start automating your customer support, sales, and marketing strategies through the WhatsApp messaging platform.

3 top WhatsApp business tools

WhatsApp tools can help you make the most of the messaging app. Use these tools to help streamline your WhatsApp marketing strategy.

Hootsuite Inbox

Hootsuite’s Social Inbox enables your team to manage all of your social media customer conversations in one easy-to-navigate inbox.

Facebook, X/Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn—and even WhatsApp!—can all be viewed, responded to, and organized right inside your Hootsuite dashboard.

Assign conversations to different users, keep track of what you and certain customers have already discussed, and make sure that no online conversation goes unnoticed.

Want to add WhatsApp to Hootsuite Inbox? Here’s to get started :

• First, make sure your business is verified on Meta . You’ll need to be verified to add a Business Account and number, so don’t skip this step! (If you need help, Meta’s got you covered .)
• Connect your WhatsApp Business Account to Hootsuite . If you don’t already have a WhatsApp Business Account, you’ll be prompted to create one.
• Provide and confirm a valid phone number for WhatsApp, then authorize Hootsuite’s access to your account. (We just need this to help you manage your messages!)
• Click Finish and you’re done! As soon as the WhatApp channel has been successfully connected, messages will automatically start coming into Inbox 2.0.

Note : Meta limits free conversations to 1,000 WhatsApp messages per month. To see more conversations, add a payment method to your WhatsApp account .

WhatsAuto is a third-party tool you can use to create chatbots and build better auto-replies. It integrates with multiple messaging apps, including WhatsApp, Messenger, Telegram, and more. You can use WhatsAuto to schedule auto-replies and easily turn auto-replies on and off.

Cleanup for Business WhatsApp

Download Cleanup for Business WhatsApp if you don’t want to spend time manually deleting old files off of WhatsApp. Cleanup makes cleaning up WhatsApp Business easy—you can select multiple files at once and quickly delete old images, videos, audio files, notes and profile pictures. The app works offline, too.

Save time building an efficient customer support system on social media with Hootsuite. Respond to questions and complaints, create tickets from social conversations, and work with chatbots all from one dashboard. Try it free today .

With files from Karin Olafson .

Save time on social messaging with automated responses, smarter workflows, and friendly chatbots — all in the Hootsuite Inbox.

Become a better social marketer.

Get expert social media advice delivered straight to your inbox.

Chloe West is a digital marketer and freelance writer, focusing on topics surrounding social media, content, and digital marketing. She's based in Charleston, SC, and when she's not working, you'll find her playing card games or watering her plants.

Related Articles

Social Media Customer Service: Best Tips and Tools

It can be a struggle to provide quality, efficient social media customer service, but its more important than ever before.

Social Selling Explained: 2024 Guide to Social Media Sales

Social selling allows you to laser-target your prospecting, establish rapport with potential clients, and drive social media sales.

6 Ways to Use Social Media for Ecommerce in 2024

A social media ecommerce strategy can help you build brand awareness, communicate with customers, and generate more sales for your online store.

What is Social Commerce and Why Should Your Brand Care?

Social commerce is what happens when savvy marketers take the best of eCommerce and combine it with social media.

Reduce response times and manage all your social messages in one place with Hootsuite Inbox.

WhatsApp marketing for enterprise brands | Get your free guide

• English - United Kingdom
• Italiano - Italia

WhatsApp automation

WhatsApp marketing, supercharged

From checkout to Chatout

Your sales-focused contact center

Get more people into WhatsApp

All integrations for your tech stack

Benefit from our enterprise-focussed WhatsApp platform

Because team work makes the dream work

Boost your campaigns with targeted and automated campaigns

Learn how to run the most successful WhatsApp campaigns

Your personal WhatsApp marketing and cCom center

Read our glossary articles

Check out our recent funding round led by Salesforce Ventures

Meet charles at one of our MarTech events in Europe!

Create your wa.me link with charles

How to set up your new revenue channels from A to Z

Our story, mission, vision and founders

80+ passionate people helping brands connect with more people

Be part of the future of shopping

• Whatsapp business premium

WhatsApp Business Premium: What is it? What are the costs? How do you get it?

Google Analytics: how do your marketing analytics change with GA4?

By Maxine Hess

Writer | WhatsApp marketer | Creative

Did you know you can get an upgrade to your WhatsApp Business app? It's called WhatsApp Business Premium, it offers extra functionality, and it may be available for you right now.

Do you use the WhatsApp Business app ? Are you finding it's not suiting your needs anymore as you grow?

It might be time for you to start using the richer functionality of the WhatsApp Business API through an approved solution provider like charles . ( See our checklist to see if you're ready .)

Or, if you're still a small business with less than 256 contacts, you may just need a minor upgrade. This is what WhatsApp Business Premium is there for.

WhatsApp Business Premium acts a little like the middle ground between the free app and the paid-for WhatsApp API . A stepping stone to bigger, better things.

This premium service was announced by WABetaInfo in May and rolled out in late 2022. As of now [July 2023], WhatsApp Business Premium is still a little shrouded in mystery. As we get more information we'll update this article.

Here's what we know so far.

What is WhatsApp Business Premium?

WhatsApp Business Premium is a paid service offered by WhatsApp to add extra functionality to the free WhatsApp Business app.

Businesses pay WhatsApp (Meta) a monthly subscription to access extra "Premium" features like having a custom WhatsApp web page and adding multiple users.

Who uses WhatsApp Business Premium?

WhatsApp Business Premium is used by small businesses, usually eCommerce businesses.

These companies already use the WhatsApp Business app and need extra functionality to " run your business more efficiently and attract more customers ."

Right now, WhatsApp Business is only available on Android – and only in some countries and for some businesses. To check if you can subscribe, go to your WhatsApp Business app then go to Settings. If you're eligible for WhatsApp Business Premium, you'll see it as an option under "Settings."

How to pay for WhatsApp Business Premium

Businesses pay for WhatsApp Business Premium monthly through the Google Play Store (right now it's only available on Android devices). 

See how to manage and cancel your WhatsApp Premium subscription.

What are the features of WhatsApp Business Premium?

The key features of WhatsApp Business Premium that aren't available in the free WhatsApp Business app are:

• Add up to 10 users
• Get a custom wa.me link
• Assign agents
• See which device or agent sent a message
• Add more details to your web page

1. Add up to 10 desktop users

With the free WhatsApp Business app, you can only use up to 4 devices. With WhatsApp  Business Premium, you get 10 web-based devices plus 1 phone. WhatsApp calls it " multi-agent ." This enables you to share chats across different users and devices for easier chat management – especially when you've just sent a WhatsApp campaign and customer messages may be higher. You can see how to link a device to your WhatsApp Business account here .

2. Get a custom wa.me link

You can choose a "vanity URL" with your company name, "wa.me.com/YourBrand that you can share with customers so they can chat with you on WhatsApp. This is easier for customers to remember than the URL you get with the free app, which is based on your phone number. WhatsApp calls this a WhatsApp web page . You can change this URL every 90 days.

You can get a custom wa.me link in WhatsApp Business Premium (image: WABetaInfo )

3. Assign agents

You can assign chats to agents to make sure every message is responded to quickly and you connect the right customer query with the right person.

4. See which device or agent sent a message

Again, this improves chat management. When you can see who's responding and from where, you can better manage your conversations and follow up on them. 

5. Add more details to your web page

With the WhatsApp Business app, you can only add your company name and profile picture to your WhatsApp web page. With WhatsApp Business Premium, you can add extra information, including:

• Opening hours
• Catalog (showing your products)

According to WhatsApp, these are some advantage of having a WhatsApp web page:

• A WhatsApp web page can help you build your online presence and credibility.
• A WhatsApp web page makes your business easier to discover on search engines.
• The more information you put on your business profile, the more information customers can see on your web page. Make sure to keep your business profile updated so your customers can see the latest information about your business.

See more on how to create a WhatsApp web page with WhatsApp Premium.

What countries is Whatsapp Business Premium available in?

WhatsApp hasn't released this information yet but it looks like it's available in India

– a key market for WhatsApp Business with 400 million WhatsApp users .

To check your region, go to your WhatsApp Business app and tap on "Settings." If you see "Premium" as an option, it's available in your country.

We believe it will be available in more countries as it becomes more established.

What are WhatsApp Premium costs?

Again, we don't know at the moment. WhatsApp Business Premium costs have not been officially released by WhatsApp yet. Plus, they change depending on which region you're in.

It appears that in India, WhatsApp Business Premium costs around 250 Rupees (around €2.76) per month. In Europe, like the cost per conversation WhatsApp charges for the API, the costs will be higher.

What we do know is that you pay a flat fee for all features. At the moment, you can't choose which features you get.

To see costs in your country, go to your WhatsApp Business app, tap Settings > Premium > Subscribe (or Free 30-day trial) – you'll see costs before you pay. 

In some countries, you get a 30-day free trial , so you can always take your time before deciding to invest. You'll need to give payment details but if you cancel before the 30 days are up you won't be charged.

How to subscribe to WhatsApp Business Premium

You can sign up for WhatsApp Business Premium easily in the WhatsApp Business app:

• Tap Settings > Premium (you'll only see this if it's available in your region)
• Tap Subscribe or 30-day free trial (the trial is only available in some countries)

See more on how to upgrade to WhatsApp Business Premium here.

It's easy to subscribe to WhatsApp Business Premium (if it's available in your country)

What else do you need to know?

As mentioned, to date, there's little information about WhatsApp Premium available. As we get new information, we will post it here.

For now, please feel free to take a look at our articles about WhatsApp Business app , WhatsApp Business Platform (API) and WhatsApp marketing .

Where does charles fit in all this?

We don't work with the WhatsApp Business app . That's for small business owners to use independently.

This also means we don't work with WhatsApp Business Premium.

In reality, we're the next step after WhatsApp Business Premium. As a small business grows and needs even more functionality, it will need to move to the WhatsApp Business Platform (API) . 

The API is for larger eCommerce brands and supports unlimited users and 100,000s of customers. It's built on the feature-rich, scalable WhatsApp Business API and 

and includes far richer functionality like automation, 

To use the API, businesses need an interface. This is not provided by WhatsApp itself, but through partners called WhatsApp Business Solution Providers (BSPs) like charles .

WhatsApp Business Premium is a stepping stone between the free WhatsApp Business app and the WhatsApp Business Platform (API). 

It offers small businesses extra functionality, the key ones being the ability to connect 10 devices and a custom "wa.me" link .

It's easy to subscribe to WhatsApp Business Premium in your WhatsApp Business app . You can also manage payment and cancellations there.

As yet, WhatsApp has released little information about WhatsApp Business Premium. We assume this is because they're still testing it out in some regions before a full rollout.

We will update this article as soon as we learn more.

Ready to take the next step up from the basic WhatsApp Business app? Book a demo with us and we'll show you powerful WhatsApp API use cases to further your business goals, and how to ensure ROI.

FAQs about WhatsApp Business Premium

What's whatsapp business premium.

WhatsApp Business Premium is a paid service for WhatsApp Business app users. It upgrades the app to add extra functionality like adding 6 more users and having a custom WhatsApp web page link and more information on this page.

Where is WhatsApp Business Premium available?

WhatsApp hasn't released a list of countries where WhatsApp Business Premium is available yet. 

How much does WhatsApp Business Premium cost?

WhatsApp hasn't released costs publicly yet. To check, you can go to your WhatsApp Business app and tap Settings > Premium (if it's available in your country). You'll see costs just before you subscribe.

How can I cancel my WhatsApp Premium subscription?

As WhatsApp Business Premium is only available on Android right now, you do this in the Google Play Store:

Tap >  Settings  >  Premium >   Manage subscription . You’ll be taken to the Google Play Store. Under  Active , tap  WhatsApp Business , then Cancel subscription .

WhatsApp Business Premium is usually used by small businesses – mostly eCommerce brands – for whom the WhatsApp Business app isn't enough anymore.

The Premium subscription makes managing a WhatsApp channel easier across different people and teams and offers more detail on the WhatsApp web page for customers to view and use. 

Get updates straight to your phone .

You may also be interested in...

WhatsApp Business app: What is it? Who uses it?

The WhatsApp Business app is an incredible free tool for small businesses. Here's why to start chatting with customers on WhatsApp and how to get started.

Maxine Hess , Jul 25, 2023 7:04:41 PM

How to use WhatsApp Business for eCommerce [+ 12 use cases]

WhatsApp is a powerful new channel for eCommerce brands. Learn how to add it to your marketing mix and 12 of our best use cases you can start with today...

Maxine Hess , Jul 7, 2023 12:17:40 PM

6 key ways to boost customer lifetime value (CLV) with WhatsApp Business

Boost your Customer Lifetime Value (CLV) by leveraging conversational commerce. Foster stronger relationships and enhance the shopping experience.

Typie , Jun 22, 2023 4:56:47 PM

WhatsApp Business pricing: all you need to know in 2023

WhatsApp is the most popular new communication channel out there. With over 2 billion active users worldwide, businesses have no choice but to join the customers on the app they like to use most.

But before you get started, you’ll probably have the following question: How much does WhatsApp Business cost me?

WhatsApp Business pricing can seem a little bit complex. The total costs can depend on a number of factors:

• Whether you’re using the regular app or the API
• Your WhatsApp Business Solution Provider (BSP)
• The location of your business
• The number of user-initiated messages sent
• The number of business-initiated messages sent
• The number of your monthly WhatsApp contacts

With this many factors, it’s not always easy to know how much you’ll have to pay at the end of the month. In this guide, we’ll cover which option is best for you and how WhatsApp charges for your ideal solution.

What’s the difference between the app and the API? (TL;DR edition)

First, you’ll need to determine whether your business needs to use the regular WhatsApp Business app or the API.

The WhatsApp Business app was created for small businesses. It’s basically an enriched version of the consumer app, that lets you add a company bio, opening hours, and a product catalog. You can also use some basic automation, such as auto-replies and quick replies.

The biggest con of using this app is that it can only be accessed by four users at the same time. This makes the app useful for small businesses with low message volumes, but very inefficient for larger businesses.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7a1AXiAmSB0&t=42s&ab_channel=StewartGauld

For medium and large-sized businesses, WhatsApp introduced the WhatsApp Business API . Here are the most important advantages of the API:

• Manage conversations with an unlimited number of users
• Automate workflows with quick replies, auto-replies, rules, and WhatsApp bots
• Send automated updates such as order confirmations, payment requests, and flight information
• Centralize all your channels (WhatsApp, email, Messenger, etc.) in one view

The WhatsApp Business API doesn’t come with its own interface. This means you’ll need to connect it to a WhatsApp Business Solution Provider , like Trengo’s customer communication platform.

📚 Read more: WhatsApp Business API: what is it and how to get it

WhatsApp Business pricing: what are the costs of the app?

The WhatsApp Business app can be downloaded completely free of charge on both iOS and Android devices:

• Google Play Store

Before starting, note that if you use your private number, your WhatsApp account will be converted into a business account. You can’t have both a private and a business account on the same number.

If you don’t want to use your private number, you can either decide to buy another phone with a different SIM card or use the WhatsApp Business API.

So is WhatsApp Business free? Yes. But it also has its limitations if you’re not using the API.

WhatsApp Business rates: what are the costs of the WhatsApp API?

The costs vary per WhatsApp Business Solution Provider, but these are the most common ones:

Set up costs

Monthly costs, costs per conversation, costs per monthly contacts.

Some WhatsApp Business Solution Providers charge a fee of up to €1000 (!) for setting up your API account. Even though the process only takes about ten minutes.

There are no setup costs at Trengo.

The monthly WhatsApp Business rates can differ a lot per WhatsApp Business Solution Provider (BSP). That’s why it is advised to do some research before starting a subscription.

Many providers, like Messagebird, don’t communicate their prices at all. This means you’ll have to contact them to get a custom price. Other providers can become very costly. For instance, subscriptions at Zendesk (€45) or Userlike (€87) start at a higher price point than Trengo (€16).

There are also platforms that aren’t official WhatsApp Business Solution Providers, but offer the API via third-party companies. This often leads to long-winded setup processes and extra costs for the customer.

Aside from looking at pricing, make sure to check out the features that each provider offers and how much they cost. The devil is often in the details. For instance, at Userlike, you can only build a WhatsApp chatbot with their Business plan (€720 per month), while at Trengo, you can use WhatsApp bots starting at the Scale plan (starting at €27 per month).

WhatsApp Business API users pay a fee per conversation. A conversation can either be initiated by the customer or the business. Both types come with a different rate. All messages that are sent within a 24-hour window are covered by the conversation fee. You only pay when you answer a user-initiated message, not when you receive it.

Note : the first 1000 conversations every month (both user and business-initiated) are completely free of charge.

Aside from who initiated the conversation, the costs also vary by country. Below, you can find how much you are charged in your country. You can also have a look at the pricing list for all countries .

At some WhatsApp Business Solution Providers, such as Messagebird, you pay an extra fee on top of WhatsApp’s fees per message. At Trengo, you don’t pay additional fees.

Some providers, like CM.com, have established their WhatsApp Business API pricing based on how many monthly active WhatsApp contacts you have. With a large number of contacts, for instance, with a medium or large-sized e-commerce company, this can become costly fast.

The bottom line: find a provider that fits your needs

What WhatsApp Business costs you simply varies per WhatsApp Business Solution Provider.

If you’re looking for an all-in-one solution, sign up for Trengo. With us, you’ll get:

• A team inbox to manage WhatsApp with all your other channels (email, Voice, live chat, Messenger, Instagram, and more)
• The ability to collaborate on customer queries within threads by @tagging your colleague (no Slack or other external apps needed)
• A wide range of automation options (quick replies, auto-replies, rules, and no-code bots)
• Send automated updates such as flight status, order confirmations, payment requests, and more
• In-depth statistics on your team’s performance (response times, number of conversations, resolution time, etc.)
• The ability to send WhatsApp broadcast messages to an audience of 800 customers per day (this feature is available in our Enterprise plan, starting at €35 per seat/month)

Sign up for a 14-day free trial with Trengo

Everything your business needs to know about the omnichannel customer experience

How will an omnichannel communication platform improve customer experience?

The what, why and how of a shared WhatsApp inbox

Let's meet, self service.

WhatsApp Business Pricing: New Pricing Plan in 2022

Table of contents

Facebook has announced that on  February 1st, 2022 , WhatsApp will switch from a notification-based pricing model to a  conversation-based pricing  model. Instead of being charged for  notifications  sent, businesses will be charged per  conversation , which includes all messages delivered within a 24-hour period. 

Effective February 1, 2022, for all businesses on the WhatsApp Business API

What’s the difference between the old and new pricing? Let’s read on. 

In  WhatsApp Biz API , there are  2 Types of WhatsApp Messages.

• User-Initiated messages, known as the Session Message
• Business-Initiated messages, known as the Template Message

WhatsApp Business Pricing Model before Feb 2022

Session Messages are 2-way customer care messages and do not have to adhere to any template. As long as customers send you a message/initiate the conversation, you are able to reply to the customer within a 24-hour window of the last received message from the customer.

Messages sent outside the response window are considered notifications which is the Template Message. If the business contacts a user before the user sends a message or after the 24-hour response window, the business can only send a message template. 

Currently, WhatsApp only charges for Business-Initiated messages (Template Message) sent. WhatsApp determines the price of each delivered Templated Message based upon the country code of the message recipient. 

Note: KeyReply’s Session Message Fees apply and are chargeable at a fixed rate per message for Enterprise Clients. 

NEW WhatsApp Business Pricing Model From 1st Feb 2022

WhatsApp Business API conversations fall into two categories that are priced differently:

• User-initiated : a 24-hour window that starts when the business responds to a customer message.
• Business-initiated : a 24-hour window that starts when the business sends a message to the customer.

All conversations are measured in 24-hour increments, or “sessions”, that start whenever the first message from a business is delivered.  

Free Tier Conversations

The first 1,000 conversations each month will be free. Each WABA gets 1,000 free tier conversations. Free tier conversations can be business-initiated or user-initiated. 

Charges for conversations are based on the user’s phone number. Rates for business-initiated conversations and user-initiated conversations vary by market (country or region).  

To get a better understanding of how WhatsApp charges for these conversations, let’s take a look at some real-world examples of both user-initiated and business-initiated conversations.

In a nutshell, the new conversation-based pricing model

• In these 24 hours, costs are incurred only once and WhatsApp Business costs vary depending on the country code of the recipient’s phone number.
• The charge will vary, depending on who initiated the conversation (the business or the end-user).
• During the session, there are no additional charges for any additional messages from the business or the end user.
• The first 1,000 conversations are free for businesses per month and per WhatsApp business API account.

Note: Reach out to our  Business Team  for detailed Pricing Rates.

How Does It Impact Your Business?

Explaining some possible use cases:

Broadcasting:  You will now only incur the first message fee from WhatsApp for starting the conversation. You will be able to send unlimited messages within a 24-hour period.

Customer support : Responding to incoming user-initiated messages, you will only incur user-initiated conversation-based charges when a user started a conversation with the business.

Looking to Work with Solution Providers?

As an official partner of Facebook business solution provider (BSP), KeyReply has expertise in the WhatsApp Business API.  Get in touch  with us to find out more about the Partnership for WhatsApp Business API.

3 Essential Features of Conversational AI Platform

WhatsApp Business API: New Features Update (2023)

5 Best Conversational AI Use Cases for the Insurance Industry

General election latest: Farage challenged over 'offensive' comments about British Muslims

Nigel Farage was challenged on Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips about "offensive" comments about British Muslims, as he campaigns for Reform UK at the general election. Also on the show, the home secretary outlined a Tory proposal to reintroduce National Service.

Sunday 26 May 2024 11:13, UK

• General Election 2024

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

General election called for 4 July

• PM vows to introduce National Service  | But no threat of jail time
• Labour pledges to reignite Sunak's proposed smoking ban
• Farage challenged on 'offensive' comments about British Muslims
• Starmer confirms support for extending voting age to 16
• PM agrees to take part in Sky News leaders' event on one condition
• Live reporting by Tim Baker and  Brad Young

Expert analysis

• Tamara Cohen: Farage's incendiary claims a question for Reform
• Adam Boulton: Why PM's big bet on security likely won't pay off
• Tamara Cohen: What Mail's front page means for campaign
• Sam Coates: Gove stepping down shows political winds are shifting

Election essentials

• Trackers: Who's leading polls? | Is PM keeping promises?
• Subscribe to Sky's politics podcasts: Electoral Dysfunction | Politics At Jack And Sam's
• Read more: What happens next? | Which MPs are standing down? | Key seats to watch | How to register to vote | What counts as voter ID? | Check if your constituency's changing | Sky's coverage plans

Since Rishi Sunak called the election on Wednesday, pollsters and surveyors have been taking the temperature of public opinion.

One example of this is by YouGov, who asked 2,072 people on Thursday and Friday for their thoughts on the upcoming vote.

They discovered that a greater proportion of people would be "disappointed" or "dismayed" with the prospect of a Conservative victory under Rishi Sunak than a Labour victory under Jeremy Corbyn in 2019.

Some 59% of those quizzed said they would be unhappy with Mr Sunak winning.

In 2019, 52% felt similarly about Mr Corbyn.

And in further bad news for the current prime minister, only 38% of people who voted Tory in 2019 would be happy to see them reelected.

Once again, immigration was the subject of election debate this morning, with James Cleverly claiming Labour plans to scrap the Rwanda scheme were "reckless".

Millions of pounds has been spent on the Rwanda deal without any deportation flights getting off the ground – and Mr Sunak has admitted they won't before the election.

We've since had updated figures on people arriving on small boats, after they surpassed 10,000 this year on Friday.

Another 227 arrived yesterday on four boats, government data shows, bringing the total to 10,397.

Shadow immigration minister Stephen Kinnock has said if Labour was elected the party would "take the action required to tackle this chaos".

Amnesty International warned the figures were a "stark reminder that the government's flagrant attack on the rights to refugees is not only unlawful and immoral, it is ineffective even on its own terms", demanding the prime minister make safe routes available to tackle crossings.

Rachel Reeves, who is Labour's shadow chancellor, has ruled out increasing the two main levies on income.

Speaking to the BBC, she says that everything in her party's manifesto will have an explanation for where the money to pay for it will come from.

Ms Reeves added: "What I want and Keir [Starmer] wants is taxes on working people to be lower and we certainly won't be increasing income tax or national insurance if we win at the election."

The Labour Party has said it will raise some tariffs, with Ms Reeves saying: "We've made those commitments so VAT and business rates on private schools, private equity bosses being taxed properly on their bonuses, an extension of the windfall tax so the energy profits are properly taxed, ensuring non-doms pay their fair share of tax in the country they live in, and also cracking down on tax avoidance – which is costing our economy billions of pounds every year." 

Our political correspondent Tamara Cohen   has been giving her reaction to Nigel Farage's appearance on Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips.

He was challenged by Trevor about his comments about British Muslims, having suggested there's a "growing number" of young people in the UK who don't subscribe to British values.

He pointed to pro-Palestine protests as an example.

You can read more of the pair's exchange in our 9.42 post .

Tamara says there will be "a lot of pushback" against Mr Farage's "highly incendiary claims" this morning.

But she says it's also a question for the leadership of his party, Reform.

Mr Farage isn't standing in the general election but has said he will campaign for the party, led by Richard Tice.

Sky News will be asking the leadership if Mr Farage's position is one it agrees with.

With the general election campaign officially under way, what better time to keep a close eye on the latest polling?

Trevor ends his show with his panel by discussing how parties like the Greens and Reform are faring.

As you can see, Reform is currently polling higher than the Liberal Democrats.

Meanwhile, the Greens have stayed pretty much level for the past view years.

Of course, it is hard to use these headline figures to projects seats won due to the quirks of our first past the post system - but it does help paint a broader picture.

The Sky News live poll tracker - collated and updated by our Data and Forensics team - aggregates various surveys to indicate how voters feel about the different political parties.

See the latest update below - and you can read more about the methodology behind the tracker  here .

Nigel Farage has revealed his "true colours as a nasty, race-baiting character", says Labour's Baroness Hazarika, following his interview with  Trevor Phillips .

"I am a proud Indian, Scottish, British, Muslim. I just swore my allegiance to King and country on the Quran.

"The idea that he perpetuates that Muslims can't be trusted, that Muslims are somehow dangerous, is so divisive."

She says he doesn't want to run for parliament because he would get called out.

"Nigel Farage is a political influencer. He has got no political solutions."

She says he got everything he wanted in Brexit and "things have only got worse".

The Conservative Lord Finkelstein says that as the son of a refugee family, he is "very nervous about people who think that they are in charge about what the values of the country are, rather than something that is subject to an argument".

"Dismissing an entire ethic group or religious background as being un-British is a really dangerous thing to do."

He said it is "good for the debate" that Mr Farage's impact has been "massively reduced" by the election being called before he could run.

Trevor Phillips  asks Nigel Farage why the Reform UK director is not running again to be an MP.

Mr Farage says he had a "six-month plan" to come back and campaign "full-time".

But the announcement of an election left him "wrong-footed" - and he came to the decision that he could not start from scratch and campaign in the six-week period allowed. 

Mr Farage denied he would need to back one of the two main party leaders, and instead wants to reshape the "centre right" of the UK's political scene.

He claims while Labour will end up in government, the Tories will not be the true opposition - instead pointing to Reform.

Trevor Phillips  puts migration figures to Nigel Farage, and the fact that people are increasingly travelling to the UK from non-EU countries, such as India and Nigeria.

"You're the father of the policy that produced this - that made EU migrants leave and increased the number of non-EU migrants," Phillips puts it to Mr Farage.

The Reform UK president says that is "the biggest load of cobblers I have heard in my life," before blaming Boris Johnson for the levels of migration.

Phillips: "Are you essentially denying that you have anything to do with the change in immigration even though the point of your whole [Brexit] campaign was to put it under our control?

"Boris Johnson used it."

Mr Farage says "that's absolute rubbish".

Nigel Farage, who is a director of Reform UK, singles out Muslims for being against British values - and also attacks Rishi Sunak for "open door" policies on immigration.

The former UKIP and Brexit Party leader says there is a "growing number of young people in this country who do not subscribe to British values - in fact, loathe much of what we stand for".

Mr Farage says "we see them on the streets of London every Saturday" - claiming a survey recently showed 46% of British Muslims support Hamas, a proscribed terrorist organisation.

He alleges that Mr Sunak is "building far more of that population than anybody before".

The Reform politician says there are young people "up and down the country in inner cities" who "in many cases are totally against our values".

Mr Farage then contrasts this with historical immigration from the West Indies, which he claims included people with a shared heritage with the UK.

Trevor Phillips , who was part of the Windrush generation, puts it to Mr Farage that part of this was that people had the British culture forced on them by their owners as they were slaves.

He suggests the Reform platform for this election is that "every problem you face is down to immigrants, and in particular Muslims".

Mr Farage is asked to put himself in the shoes of a British Muslim and imagine "how offensive" some of his comments will feel.

Mr Farage denies he's placing blame on anyone but then claims that there are places in the UK - like in Oldham - where "virtually no one speaks English".

He claims that he "is not here to attack the religion of Islam" - but rather talk about migration.

Nigel Farage has branded the Conservatives' plan to bring back national service "a joke".

"When you're a weak leader, and Sunak is not a leader in any way at all, you're a follower, so you follow what the focus groups say," the Reform UK honorary president tells Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips .

He calls the idea "totally impractical" due to how much the army has shrunk under the Conservatives.

Be the first to get Breaking News

Install the Sky News app for free