What are the different ways to use WhatsApp ?
WhatsApp is a Meta messaging application enabling different types of usage:
- WhastApp application
- Peer to peer contact between end users. The broader usage of WhatsApp enabling you as a user to connect and communicate over the web with your contacts thanks to phone numbers.
- WhatsApp Business App
- Enables SMB business to reach out to their customer.
- This integration does not allow any automation or external integration.
- WhatsApp Business Platform
- API integration through a Meta partner like Sinch Engage allowing automation and access to complex WhatsApp features.
- Here is a list of key features exclusive to the WhatsApp Business Platform integration:
- Business initiated conversation
- Marketing — Marketing conversations include promotions or offers, informational updates, or invitations for customers to respond or take action.
- Utility — Utility conversations facilitate a specific, agreed-upon request or transaction, or update a customer about an ongoing transaction. These may include transaction confirmations, transaction updates, and/or post-purchase notifications.
- Authentication — Authentication conversations enable you to authenticate users with one-time passcodes, potentially at multiple steps in the login process (e.g., account verification, account recovery, integrity challenges).
- Service — Service conversations help you resolve customer inquiries.
- Verified display name
- Mass messaging capabilities
- Payment (initiated by a business)
- Business initiated conversation
How can you as a company leverage on WhatsApp Business Platform with Sinch Engage ?
WhatsApp is a web mobile messaging app enabling users to chat with their contacts phone numbers.
In order for a company to send and receive messages on WhatsApp it needs to be register under a phone number on WhatsApp.
Connecting WhatsApp to Sinch Engage means creating your WhatsApp Business Profile and associating it a phone number that will be used to communicate with your customers using WhatsApp Business Platform 
Thanks to this integration you will be able to leverage all the exclusive features quoted in the What are the different way to use WhatsApp ? section as well as connecting it to the Sinch Engage platform to allow Agents and your bot to chat with your end users.
What is a WhatsApp Business Profile ?
A WhatsApp Business Profile is a Meta entity listing important information, such as a company's address, email and website.
Each WhatsApp Business Profile is associated with a phone number and is equivalent to a contact on WhatsApp.
A WhatsApp Business Profile belongs to a WhatsApp Business Account (WABA).
What is a WhatsApp Business Account (WABA) ?
A WhatsApp Business Account (WABA) lets your business use the WhatsApp Business Platform (API) to communicate directly with your customers.
It can own several WhatsApp Business Profiles.
A WABA belongs to a Meta Business Account.
What is a Meta Business Account WABA ?
A Meta Business Account is the identity of your brand in the Meta ecosystem.
It can gather your Facebook pages, Instagram pages, WhatsApp Business accounts (WABAs) and ads accounts under one Meta entity.
How many WhatsApp Business Profiles can I have ?
Initially you are limited to 2 business profiles per Meta Business Account before tou verify your business.
After your business has been verified by Meta you can have up to 20 business profiles per Meta Business Account on several WABAs (WhatsApp Business Accounts).
Do I need a personal Facebook account to connect WhatsApp,Messenger or Instagram on Sinch Engage ?
Yes, you do. Meta is using personnal accounts connected to Meta Business Accounts to enable the connection.
I don't have a Meta business Account/WhatsApp Business Account (WABA) / WhatsApp Business Profile for my business. How can I create any of these ressources ?
You will be able to create these resources during the process of Connect to WhatsApp.
I have an existing Meta Business Account/WhatsApp Business Account (WABA) / WhatsApp Business Profile for my business. Can I reuse them ?
Yes, you can reuse them.
Make sure that you have an admin access to the business profile and that it is not connected to any other BSP (partner).
Contact our support if you want to migrate your WhatsApp Business Profile (number) from another provider to Sinch Engage.
I don't have the admin rights for the Meta Business Account of my company.
Contact the admin of your company to complete the flow.
How can I know that my phone number is valid to connect with WhatsApp on Sinch Engage ?
As mentioned in this question: What does connecting a company to Sinch Engage on WhatsApp mean ? you will need a phone number to create the WhatsApp Business Profile of your brand.
- This phone number should not be connected to:
- any personal WhatsApp number
- any WhatsApp Bussiness app integration → See What are the WhatsApp integrations available ?
- any WhatsApp Business Platform integration → See What are the WhatsApp integrations available ?
To verify that you number is free of any integration, you can use the verification tool in the Connect WhatsApp flow. In case of previous integration here is how you can remove it:
- Personal WhatsApp number
- WhatsApp Bussiness app integration
- WhatsApp Business Platform integration
- Contact our support
- Contact our support
- Personal WhatsApp number
2. You should be able to receive international SMS or Voice calls to this number as during the connection process you will be asked to enter a code send to this number via Voice or SMS.
Note: A landline phone number is valid to complete the process.
If your number match these 2 conditions, it will be valid for an integration.
