Guide

WhatsApp for business: the app, the platform and which one you need.

In Hong Kong, WhatsApp is how many customers prefer to reach a business. "Putting WhatsApp into our system" can mean very different things depending on which of Meta's two business products you use. This guide explains the difference, and the rules that apply to both.

Key takeaways

The WhatsApp Business app is a phone app for small teams answering chats by hand.
The WhatsApp Business Platform is for connecting WhatsApp to your own systems, automation and larger teams.
On the platform, business-started messages use approved templates and require opt-in.
Pricing and rules change. Check Meta's current terms and your provider's charges.
Start by deciding what the messages are for, then choose the product.

The Business app

A free app you install on a phone, designed for small businesses. It adds a business profile, a product catalogue, quick replies, labels, greeting and away messages, and statistics. People talk to a real person, who types the replies.

Good for: a small team handling a modest volume of conversations by hand.
Limits: little or no integration with your other systems; automation is basic; sending to many people is restricted; the number of connected devices is limited.

The Business Platform

A programmable service for connecting WhatsApp to software: your booking system, order system, CRM or a support tool. Access is through Meta's cloud service or through an approved provider. A developer builds the connection; staff may use a shared inbox rather than one phone.

Good for: automatic confirmations and reminders, status updates, several agents sharing one number, chatbots that pass to a person, and linking chats to customer records.
Considerations: set-up and approval steps, per-conversation or per-message charges, rules about message types, and ongoing technical upkeep.

Rules to understand on the platform

Opt-in. You need a customer's permission before sending business-initiated messages. Collect it clearly, record it, and make stopping easy.
Approved templates. Messages you start outside an active conversation must use pre-approved templates, such as an appointment reminder with fields for the date and name.
The conversation window. After a customer messages you, there is a limited period in which you can reply more freely. Outside it, templates are needed.
Content rules. Meta restricts some kinds of content and uses. Read its commerce and business policies for your sector.
Marketing versus service. Promotional messages have different expectations and pricing from service messages, and Hong Kong's direct marketing rules in the PDPO also apply. See our PDPO guide.

Details such as window length, categories and prices are set by Meta and change. We would verify them at the start of your project rather than rely on a guide.

How to decide

Answering enquiries by hand, a few dozen a day, one or two people? The Business app is probably enough.
Reminders and confirmations triggered by bookings or orders? You need the platform.
A team sharing a number, with hand-offs and history in your CRM? The platform, with a shared inbox.
Heavy broadcast marketing? Think carefully about consent, templates, cost and customer tolerance before anything else.

Habits that keep messaging healthy

Be useful: send what people expect, when they expect it.
Keep sensitive details out of messages that appear on lock screens.
Make it easy to reach a human, and say who you are.
Keep marketing and service messages separate.
Record consent, and stop sending when asked.
Plan for outages and for staff changes: do not let one person's phone be the whole system.

Keep reading

Frequently asked questions

Can I connect the Business app to my booking system?

Not in a way that supports automation. Integration is what the platform is for.

Does a chatbot replace staff?

A bot can answer routine questions and collect details, but it should hand over to a person smoothly. Customers dislike being stuck with a bot.

Is the platform expensive?

It depends on volume, message types and your provider. We would estimate it for your case and show you how charges arise before you commit.

Thinking about WhatsApp automation?

Tell us what messages you want to send and when. We will help you pick the simplest option that works.

Request a project quote