There are two ways to connect WhatsApp to CRM: through integration with WhatsApp ( just WhatsApp in the text below) and the official Meta solution — WhatsApp Business API (WABA).
Both solutions allow managers to correspond with clients from the CRM, but the connection process, functions and tasks of these solutions are different. Not every business will benefit from integration with WABA, and not every problem will be solved by integration with WhatsApp.
Let’s look in detail at the advantages and disadvantages of each solution.
Connection — features and duration of verification
WABA
There are two ways how to connect WABA:
- without checking the company (verification) and the display name of your WhatsApp Business profile,
- with confirmation of the company and your display name.
Connection without any verification takes about 10 minutes, after that you can test the service immediately.
The seller can start 250 correspondence within 24 hours — this is Meta’s limitation. At the same time, he will be able to reply to incoming messages as much as necessary.
Let’s look at an example of what this means. Let’s assume that the company and your display name were not verified. Alex was contacted by 100 different people within 24 hours — he will be able to respond to all of them, because the incoming messages are not limited. Also Alex himself will be able to initiate correspondence with 250 clients. Then the salesman will talk to a total of 350 clients in 24 hours. With that kind of productivity, Alex deserves an award.
👉 How to connect the WABA channel
If you write first more often and 250 correspondence initiated by the seller is not enough — verify the company and the display name, so you can start the first 1000 correspondence in 24 hours. To do this you need to apply for verification and wait 3-4 days for Meta’s decision.
👉 How to verify your company and display name
Read more about the limits on correspondence in the next section.
There is no guarantee that the company and the display name will be verified the first time. But Meta gives you the opportunity to supplement and correct the information.
Anyone can connect WhatsApp to the CRM. You don’t need to collect any documents — register, test the service, set up the integration and get to work.
Correspondence — how and how much you can write first
WABA
How correspondence on WABA channels works
WABA correspondence is a 24-hour conversation with a customer.
Correspondence begins the moment you send a message to the client and ends exactly 24 hours later. For example, if you wrote to a client at 9 a.m. on Monday, the correspondence will end at 9 a.m. on Tuesday.
There can be as many correspondence as you want within a dialog with one client.
Start first correspondence = write first in a dialog with a client that doesn’t have an active 24 hour correspondence. If you corresponded with a client from 9 to 11 a.m. on Monday, and then write to the client again at 5 p.m. the same day, it will go away as part of the still active correspondence.
Limits on correspondence
Meta assigns tiers to WhatsApp Business accounts — they show how many 24-hour conversations you can initiate first in a 24-hour period:
Tier 0: 250 business-initiated correspondence in a 24-hour period,
Tier 1: 1 000 business-initiated correspondence in a 24-hour period,
Tier 2: 10 000 business-initiated correspondence in a 24-hour period,
Tier 3: 100 000 business-initiated correspondence in a 24-hour period,
Tier 4: no restrictions.
Once you have connected WABA, but have not yet confirmed the company and the display name — you are assigned tier 0. When you confirm the company and the display name — you will get tier 1.
Respond to incoming messages from clients as much as you want regardless of the level.
How to increase the number of available correspondence
After approving the company and your display name limits depend on the quantity and quality of correspondence. If you write a lot first and clients don’t complain about messages — the number of correspondences will increase.
How to write to the client first
You may have heard about WABA templates, with which you need to start a dialogue with a new client and a 24-hour correspondence. These must be checked with Meta before being used.
It is not necessary to add templates to Wazzup yourself. As soon as you connect the WABA channel, we automatically create several universal templates and submit them for moderation in Meta.
When universal templates are agreed, you can use them in chats. Open a chat with a client you want to write first, type the text in the input line and send — we will automatically send it in a universal template.
👉 What are universal templates and how do they work
If templates with text are needed. For example, to send out a newsletter:
As soon as you connect the channel, several universal templates will automatically leave your personal account for moderation. Once Meta approves them, you can use them.
Universal templates can be personalized when sent: they contain variables in which you can write anything.
If the universal templates are not enough, add your own — it’s easy. Templates can be added and sent for moderation directly from your Wazzup account. They are usually approved as soon as 2-3 hours after sending them. Sometimes within a couple of days. In very, well, very rare cases — within a couple of weeks.
Here is an example of how filling and sending the template from Wazzup chats will look like.
To initiate a WhatsApp correspondence, you only need the client’s phone number. The seller can initiate correspondence with the client without restrictions. The exception is mass mailings but about them below.
Stability of work
WABA
Connection is done via the official API key — this is the most reliable way to work with WhatsApp.
You don’t need a phone with the WhatsApp app, and in case of WABA, there are no headaches due to sudden authorisation failures. Connect the number once when connecting the integration and forget it.
The stability of work with WhatsApp is affected by messenger updates. Of course, Zuckerberg does not warn “grey” integrators about them. Developers need some time to adapt the work of the service to the updates.
Also, Facebook itself can knock authorisation out of linked devices, including Wazzup. This happens if the account is suspected of spam or decided to ban. Then sellers will be out of touch for a while, and you’ll have to scan a QR code or even write to support if the number is banned.
You should also keep an eye on your phone once in a while. If the phone with the app is left without internet or switched off for more than 14 days the channel authorisation will fail in the Wazzup account.
Mailings and mass notifications
WABA
WhatsApp policy allows mass mailings and alerts, just agree with Meta on a template and send it out as much as you want.
But if you send viral ads that users complain about, the template will be blocked — you’ll have to approve a new one. Keep sending such newsletters — Meta will reduce the number of correspondence available per day.
Account blocking due to complaints will most likely not happen. In our practice, there have been cases when particularly active spammers were banned, but for this you need to try.
Making mass mailings and alerts via WhatsApp is risky — spam and suspected automation will get your account blocked without many words.
The message should be personalized — aimed at solving a specific problem. This doesn’t mean you can’t use templates or ready-made text replies. The main thing is that the template should be relevant and meet the client’s expectations.
Price comparison
WABA
WABA payment consists of two parts: subscription payment and correspondence payment.
Subscription payment is a fee for using the service:
- 90 $ when paying WABA for a month,
- 81 $ per month when paying WABA for 6 months,
- 72 $ per month when paying WABA for a year.
The WABA plan offers integration with CRM, all Wazzup features and no limits on dialogues — you can communicate with any number of clients per month.
Correspondence payment. When you write to a client, you are buying 24-hour correspondence with him. You need to pay only for the beginning of the conversation, and not for each message.
Money is deducted from the WABA balance. You don’t have to make any manual payments or wait for them to go through. You just need to top up the balance in your Wazzup account in time.
Payment is always debited only after the business is reported. If a client writes to you, and you don’t answer him, it sucks, but it’s free.
The price for correspondence depends on two conditions:
- In what country the client is located (determined by the code of his telephone number).
- What message are you sending to the client.
👉 Full price and details about billing
The connection price depends on which tariff you choose:
- the “Max” tariff per month is 90 $,
- the “Pro” tariff per month is 45 $,
- the “Start” tariff per month is 20 $.
If you pay for six months or a year at once, the price per month will be cheaper.
Conclusions
There is no good or bad solution: one suits you, the other does not, or both at once. There is no point in comparing integration in terms of price, quality and ease of connection in isolation from business objectives.
If you have decided which tasks are right for you, take a look at the summary table. A brief comparison of features should help you make a final decision.
| WABA | ||
| Connection | It takes a few minutes to connect, but in order to correspond without limits, you need to spend time on verification | It takes a few minutes to connect, but in order to correspond without restrictions, you need to spend time on verification |
| Correspondence | There are limits on the number of correspondence per 24 hours | No limits |
| Stability of work | The most stable WhatsApp integration | Unofficial, less stable solution |
| Mailings and mass notifications | Mailings are allowed | No mailings allowed |
| Price comparison | The maximum subscription price is $90 per month. You also need to pay for correspondence | The maximum subscription price is $90 per month |
If in doubt about the choice, write to our support. We’ll answer your questions and help you figure out what’s right for you.
