WhatsApp has started experimenting with verified business accounts. While the test hasn’t been announced, WhatsApp describes how this will work, in an FAQ on its site.
WhatsApp hasn’t done much to help businesses take advantage of its platform up until now. However, it is exploring better ways to connect users and businesses. One of these, is business accounts that are verified. In an FAQ on its site, the company says that some business accounts have now been verified. Verification is “currently limited to a small number of businesses participating in a pilot program.”
If a business account has been verified, it means that WhatsApp has confirmed that the phone number registered to the account belongs to a specific business.
You can tell whether you’re chatting to a person or a business (verified or not) from the yellow messages within the chat (these can’t be deleted), and the only way to tell if a business account has been verified or not is the green badge next to their name. If you have the business’ number saved in your address book, you will see the name that you have saved, not the real name of the business. However, if you don’t have the number saved in your address book, you will see the real name of the business.
If you’re worried about businesses contacting you, you can simply block them. Next question… How on earth is Facebook going to be monetising WhatsApp?
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