How to Get a WhatsApp Business API Account? (2024)

Updated on March 7, 2024

In the increasingly interconnected world where technology makes it easier than ever before to stay connected with the customer, instant connectivity is no longer a good to have, it is a must-have. Communication channels such as phone calls and emails are outdated, as more and more people rely on instant messaging to get faster responses to their queries.

The reasons for WhatsApps phenomenal growth are numerous. WhatsApp messages are delivered near instantaneously, the interface is easy to use and the messages are usually end-to-end encrypted. WhatsApp thus provides a powerful opportunity for enterprises to reach their target customers and build stronger relationships.

One major roadblock here is businesses relying on individual WhatsApp Business accounts for business communications. This is where WhatsApp Business API comes in, offering a game-changing solution for enterprise-level customer engagement.

Using WhatsApp business, companies can safely and securely message their customers directly within the WhatsApp Messaging platform.

According to a Zendesk report, 48% of the people in the world have a smartphone, and with a user base of more than 2.5 billion people, WhatsApp as a marketing channel has a lot of potentials.

In this blog post, we will teach you how to use WhatsApp as a powerful business tool, and get WhatsApp API access so that you can provide support to a large customer base.

If you’re eager to improve your customer interactions with whatsapp, then you may also be interested in other blogs:

Now you have understood what Whatsapp API is and why we need WhatsApp API let’s understand the difference between Whatsapp Business and WhatsApp Business API to get more clarity.

Difference between WhatsApp Business App and WhatsApp Business API

Whatsapp Business App

People often confuse WhatsApp Business App with WhatsApp Business API, thinking they are one and the same thing, but the answer is far from the truth. WhatsApp Business App is a separate application that can be downloaded from the Play Store or the App Store. It is designed for small businesses that need to handle only a finite number of customer queries. Only one user on one device can use the WhatsApp Business app, and it is the best solution for small mom and pop establishments that don’t get hundreds of customer queries in a day.

Whatsapp Business API

WhatsApp Business has an Application Programming Interface (API) that is designed to help businesses cope with the plethora of customer support requests they get in a day. Support teams can use WhatsApp alongside other channels so that all the customer interactions are at one place and there is no loss of data. You will need a WhatsApp API to connect WhatsApp Business App to your company’s software, which can be obtained from a WhatsApp partner.

WhatsApp Business allows you to send unlimited messages to your customers, in any content format you wish. WhatsApp Business API account, however, bifurcates your messages into two types – Session messages and Template messages. Respond to a message within 24 hours, and that is a session message. Take longer than that to send a message, and you will have to send out a template message, which has to be pre-approved by WhatsApp.

The WhatsApp Business App has built-in features that help you in automating some of the common greeting messages and away messages. If you need advanced automation options, you will have to use a WhatsApp business API account and connect it to your business logic. Another key difference between WhatsApp Business App and WhatsApp Business API is that you can only broadcast a message to 256 contacts at a time on the WhatsApp Business app, but with the API, you can reach unlimited users, as long as the message content is not promotional.

Benefits of using WhatsApp Business API for Enterprises

Here are 5 benefits of using WhatsApp Business API for enterprises:

Higher conversion rates: Compared to traditional communication channels, WhatsApp has a higher conversion rate. WhatsApp also has a higher engagement rate, since customers know whom they are chatting with. A Nielsen survey says that 67% of messaging app users expect to message businesses more over the next 2 years. WhatsApp enables real-time communication, allowing enterprises to promptly address customer inquiries and give instant responses. WhatsApp Business API also supports rich media content, including images, videos and documents. Thus enterprises can catch attention and drive conversions and improve customer satisfaction.

Wider reach: With the huge amount of Monthly Active users, enterprises have a huge audience base with whom they can communicate. By using the WhatsApp Business API , enterprises can directly reach customers on their favorite messaging platform, enhancing customer communication. Also, it is to be noted that WhatsApp is primarily a smartphone – based messaging app, giving Enterprises a direct channel to reach their customers anytime, anywhere.

Improved customer service and support: A great customer experience is a direct result of good customer support, and WhatsApp Business API allows enterprises to provide this customer support in real-time. A majority of business users prefer to to interact with a business that they can message directly. By offering instant customer support via WhatsApp, enterprises can increase their positive word-of-mouth referrals, leading to higher retention rates.

Cost efficiency and automation: Automating routine tasks and streamlining communication workflows results in cost savings for enterprises, which WhatsApp Business API is a key enabler for. Enterprises can also leverage advanced technologies such as chatbots and automated responses on WhatsApp, enterprises can handle a higher volume of enquiries with lesser human effort.

Gaining important insights: Businesses get valuable data and analytics insights from WhatsApp Business API, which lets them track engagement metrics and track user interactions. Enterprise businesses can analyze data from WhatsApp Business API to refine their marketing strategy, personalize messaging and improve overall performance.

Things to consider for Enterprises while integrating WhatsApp Business API

Here are a few things that any enterprise business must consider before integrating the WhatsApp Business API.

Business Objectives and Target Audience: What are the goals that you are trying to achieve with the integration of WhatsApp Business API? Improve customer service or provide marketing campaigns. It is very important that you identify your target audience on WhatsApp and understand which moe of communication they prefer.

Choosing a WhatsApp Business Solution provider: It is very important for enterprises to partner with the right Business Solution Provider (BSP) who can provide expertise in API integration, compliance guidance and technical support. A BSP must only be chosen after all their previous track records have been evaluated and if their pricing matches your budget.

Compliance and data security: Different countries come with different data protection laws, and enterprises must ensure that they are in compliance with laws such as GDPR and CCPA, when they are integrating the WhatsApp Business API. Customers trust these enterprises with their sensitive information, and enterprises in turn must ensure that this private data is stored, processed and transmitted with maximum security.

Integrating with existing systems: Seamlessly integrate the API with CRM, marketing automation or e-commerce platform for effective customer engagement. Enterprises must ensure that data flows smoothly between different systems and evaluate compatibility to ensure cohesive customer experience across all touchpoints.

Scalability and performance: As business expands in an enterprise setting and the volume of WhatsApp interactions grows, care must be taken to ensure that the infrastructure can handle the increased traffic and maintain optimum performance. Factors such as server capacity, bandwidth, should be part of an enterprise’s scalability discussions to prevent service disruptions during peak periods.

Let us now see why as an enterprise, you should get a WhatsApp Business API from a business partner.

Why get your WhatsApp Business API from a business partner

You cannot get a WhatsApp API directly, and usually have to rely on one of the several business partners that WhatsApp has teamed up with. Why has WhatsApp done this?

To avoid spammers: When last counted, WhatsApp had close to 2 billion users on its platform, and with a user base this large, WhatsApp knew that it had to fight an uphill battle against spammers. To have a greater control over the companies that have access to its API, WhatsApp decided to provide access only through select partners.
Less resource intensive: Outsourcing the API application process to partners means WhatsApp doesn’t have to hire additional resources to oversee this process, which also helps reduce costs.
Leveraging partner’s strength: Partners have the resources that will help them vet which companies are allowed on the WhatsApp platform. Many of these partners are also SMS providers, which means they have the access to high-volume clients.

Here is a link to all the partners that WhatsApp has teamed up with to provide its API access.

One such partner is 360Dialog, with whom Kommunicate has teamed up to provide you with WhatsApp API access. 360Dialog provides a developer-friendly API, and the company does not carry out any modification around WhatsApp Rich messages. 360Dialog also does not charge the user per message, which works out quite economically for the business owner.

360 Dialog: How to get WhatsApp API account on 360 Dialog

There are 4 steps in getting a WhatsApp API Account.

Step 1: Port or Buy a phone number

You need a phone number to set up your WhatsApp Business API account. Partners such as Dialog 360 allow you to port an existing phone number, as long as you can receive calls or SMS. You have to make sure that the number is not connected to another WhatsApp Business account or WhatsApp API account, to avoid any conflict.

Step 2: Verify the Business name and meet WhatsApp Commerce Policy

WhatsApp has a Commerce policy, which you will need to adhere to before you apply for a WhatsApp API. WhatsApp will review your application, as well as your Display Name, which should ideally match the legal name under which your business is registered.

To get the 360 Dialog form on your email, Fill out this form WhatsApp API Request

Step 3: Verify Facebook Business and Number

This step is different from the Facebook Page Verification. Here, you need to provide a few documents and complete your Business verification in the Facebook Business Manager. This process usually takes a few working days.

Step 4: Generating an API key

Once you have a WhatsApp API account, you need to obtain a WhatsApp API key and connect it to a business software of your choice. You can use different API providers to get your API Account setup. 360Dialog is one such API provider.

How to connect Kommunicate and Dialog360 for WhatsApp integration

There are 2 ways you can connect Kommunicate and 360Dialog

First, you need to login into your Kommunicate dashboard. If you do not have a Kommunicate account, you can sign up for free.

And then Go to integrations > WhatsApp and then Request Access on your Kommunicate Dashboard.

Step 3: Integrating WhatsApp with Kommunicate

First, you must log into your Kommunicate dashboard. If you do not have a Kommunicate account, you can sign up for free. Then, Go to Integrations > WhatsApp>and then click on the Go Live.

Firstly, to connect your whatsapp number with Whatsapp Business API you need to create a free account on our partner 360Dialog page. Click here to create an account
After signing up on 360Dialog fill the below details.
Whatsapp Number: Enter the number that you’ve used with your 360Dialog account
API Key: In your 360Dialog account, go to Whatsapp account and generate API Key
Namespace: In your 360Dialog account, go to Whatsapp account section and click on Show Details. In the details tab scroll down to Whatsapp Business Account section to find Namespace.

Now Kommunicate is successfully integrated with the WhatsApp account, try sending messages to the number linked to the account. These messages will be sent to Kommunicate chat as well. If the chatbot is already integrated, the bot will start replying to your WhatsApp chat queries.

This is how the conversations will look like in the Kommunicate dashboard.

And there you go!! You have successfully integrated WhatsApp into your Kommunicate dashboard. Now, any message you send to the 360 Dialog WhatsApp number will be available in the Kommunicate dashboard.

As you can see, setting up WhatsApp API for your business need not be a hard ordeal. With tools like Kommunicate doing the heavy lifting, you can sit back, relax and do what you do best – provide a superior customer experience.

Key takeaway:

Why would you consider using all the features of 360Dialog WhatsApp API through Kommunicate? Well, there is the cost advantage, for starters. Any user does not have to pay 99 Euros to 360 Dialog since the pricing is already covered in the Kommunicate subscription.

If you want to integrate Kommunicate to Dialog 360, you can use the Grow plan. You can integrate 360 dialog at no additional cost since the price is already included in the Grow plan is $100.

And that’s just not all that you get with Kommunicate’s Grow plan. You also get:

Integration with WhatsApp, Facebook, Telegram, Line along with AgileCRM and Pipedrive.
Quick replies and Ready to use bot templates.
Advanced Widget customization.
1 year chat history

For a detailed list of all the features in our various pricing plans, check out our pricing page here.

That’s WhatsApp API Access under 100 dollars. If that is not a killer deal, we don’t know what is. So, what are you waiting for? Partner with Kommunicate and get access to your WhatsApp Business API today!!

At Kommunicate, we are envisioning a world-beating customer support solution to empower the new era of customer support. We would love to have you on board to have a first-hand experience of Kommunicate. You can signup here and start delighting your customers right away.

How to Get a WhatsApp Business API Account? (2024)

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