WhatsApp’s Business offering is increasingly helpful for businesses to engage with their customers for customer support, WhatsApp bulk messages and broadcasts, and sending automated updates such as order related notifications.
WhatsApp can be a huge enabler for customers too as it helps them stay updated in real-time and initiate chat with businesses seamlessly.
But WhatsApp is still a personal messaging platform, and businesses must be mindful of not being intrusive to avoid breaching customer trust.
One of the most simple yet effective ways for businesses to build trust is by getting verified by WhatsApp and thus getting a green tick badge on your profile.
What is WhatsApp Green Tick?
WhatsApp Green Tick is a badge on your WhatsApp API number’s profile. You get it once your Business profile is successfully verified by WhatsApp, marking you as an Official Business Account.
In order to earn this badge, you need to go through WhatsApp’s verification process (detailed in next section).
What are the advantages of WhatsApp Verified Tick Badge?
A green tick badge signals that your brand is authentic, unique and reputable.
- Customers will be able to view your Brand name even without having to save your business contact. More trust!
- Getting the Green tick badge can help you reduce instances of getting blocked by your customers.
- It can also potentially increase the read-rate of your messages, which essentially means higher ROI on your messaging cost.
- Over the long-term, it can become a part of your overall branding.
Official Business Account (OBA) vs Business Account: What's the difference?
Now that we’re on the topic, let’s just clarify another big area of confusion - what is the difference between an Official Business Account (OBA) vs a Business Account!
Once you’re verified by Whatsapp, you become an Official Business Account (OBA). If not, it’s a regular Business Account.
If you have the green tick badge, you are an Official Business Account.
Eligibility criteria: Does your business qualify for Green Tick?
Pre-requisites:
1. Whatsapp API account
If you don’t have a WhatsApp API, sign up for free and we will help you get set-up within a day.
DelightChat offers a comprehensive suite of WhatsApp Marketing & Customer Support offerings to help grow your business.
2. Have a verified Facebook Business Manager
Learn more here about how to get your Facebook Business Manager verified. You can also watch this detailed video to learn more.
3. Enable 2-step authentication
4. You must be a notable and reputable brand
How to verify your WhatsApp Business Account
You can also request for verification from the Facebook Business Manager by following the steps below:
- Login to your Facebook Business Manager account and click “Business Settings”
- Under accounts, select “WhatsApp Accounts”. If you have multiple accounts listed, select the one that you wish to request verification for
- Select “Settings” and click “Contact Support”
- Click “Ask a question” on the top-right and choose “WABiz: Request official business account status”
- Fill the required information. Note: make sure you have two-factor authentication set up before you proceed to send your business for verification.
- The request status will be available under the “Direct support” option in your Business Manager
If your request is approved, your WhatsApp Business account will automatically be upgraded to WhatsApp Official Business account and show a verified green tick right beside your profile picture.
How long does the Green Tick Application decision take?
Typically, if a brand is going to get verified, WhatsApp reverts within 2-4 business days.
However, if your brand does not get verified and the application is rejected, you can still apply again for Green Tick verification. However, you have to wait for 30 days before you fcan re-apply.
What is the cost of applying for WhatsApp Green Tick Verification?
There is no cost to applying for the Green Tick badge on your WhatsApp profile.
Some businesses may charge a fee for applying to WhatsApp on your behalf. However, at DelightChat we try to get all our customers a Green Tick on their WhatsApp Business profile. And we do it completely free of charge.
Are certain industries not eligible for WhatsApp Green Tick Badge?
Unfortunately, the answer is yes.
WhatsApp does not allow certain industries to get Green Tick verified. Businesses operating in these industries cannot apply for WhatsApp API access as well. Even if they do, WhatsApp typically rejects their application.
The ineligible industries include:
- Adult Product/Services
- Alcohol Brands
- Cryptocurrencies
- Dating Services
- Drugs & Tobacco Items
- Gambling Businesses
- Medical & Healthcare Products
- Weapons & Ammunition Businesses
- and more.
Find the complete list in WhatsApp's legal document.
Biggest factor that helps in getting Green Tick Verified
Through our experience working with brands and helping them get the Verified Green Tick badge on their WhatsApp profiles, we have noticed that having 3-5 PR articles written about your business greatly increases the chances of your account getting verified.
Hassle-Free Green Tick Badge Verification with DelightChat
The above process is alright, but there is an easier and fool-proof way to get your WhatsApp Business Account verified and earn the green badge - through DelightChat :)
Why DelightChat?
Getting your WhatsApp API verified is just one of the many steps your business would need to take to smoothly manage WhatsApp support.
With DelightChat, you get to manage your entire WhatsApp API and more in a seamless way:
- Get WhatsApp API access
- Get verification badge (we apply to WhatsApp free of charge)
- Manage customer support on WhatsApp with a shared inbox
- Send automated notifications to the customers such as abandoned cart, order confirmation, shipping confirmation & COD order verification.
- Send promotional WhatsApp broadcasts to your customer lists and grow your business
Start your Green Tick application today
If you have a WhatsApp API, do apply for verification and get the green badge to add credibility to your account. This will help you win customer trust not just in short-term but also long-term.
You can apply for the verification process through Facebook Business Manager either yourself, or you can leverage DelightChat’s experience to help you set sail smoothly.
Already a DelightChat user? Refer to this help article for getting started with your Green Tick application.
