The Alternate of Official WhatsApp Business API for Prohibited Industries

How familiar are you with WhatsApp? Well, this is not a good question, as the most popular and widely used messaging application is none other than WhatsApp. But have you ever used WhatsApp to promote your business in the market? Correct; we are speaking about WhatsApp marketing!

WhatsApp can be used for personal and professional reasons; it is the most efficient way to communicate, promote, and market campaigns in one shot. Meta launched WhatsApp in 2009 for small businesses to communicate. Still, the problem was that large industries needed help using it to interact with their customers. 

Hence, WhatsApp Business API was introduced in 2018 to help medium-to-large-sized businesses. However, some industries are completely restricted from using WhatsApp API. So, what alternative can they implement for their business promotion?

We will discuss the alternate use of WhatsApp Business API for prohibited industries and how they can leverage WhatsApp’s benefits for their business.

What is WhatsApp Business API?

WhatsApp Business API is a game-changing feature introduced by Meta in 2018, especially for medium-to-large-sized businesses. It helps them connect with multiple customers at the same time. But can it be suitable for all types of businesses? The answer is no. Some companies categorized by Meta are prohibited from using WhatsApp Business API.

WhatsApp API offers various facilities such as WhatsApp chatbots, interactive messages, quick replies, and automated messages WhatsApp automation to serve their customer’s requirements.

Say goodbye to your complex communication system. With API, you can customize your conversation flow to fit your requirements, experience an enhanced customer experience, and create trustable relationships. Now, sip coffee, and let’s explore an alternate way of using WhatsApp Business API for restricted industries.

Before that, let’s see what businesses are allowed to use WhatsApp Business API.

• E-commerce – WhatsApp Business API is used to keep customers updated about their orders, such as shipping, cart recovery, delivery, etc.
• Healthcare – Used to keep track of their patients and medical management and notify them of appointment bookings.
• Tour and travel agencies—These are used to provide a smooth travel experience and inform travelers about their journey, such as ticket details, pick-up and drop-off timings, and cancellations.
• Real estate – Used to offer quality service and facilitate property transactions to customers.
• Financial services – API used in this industry to build trust and security and send customized communication to develop client relationships.
• Recruiting and staffing – Used to make the hiring process easier and faster and coordinate with qualified candidates.

Which Industries Can not Use Official WhatsApp Business API?

As per WhatsApp’s terms of service, WhatsApp has compiled a list of industries that are restricted from accessing the WhatsApp Business API. Here are the prohibited industries from accessing WhatsApp Business API:

• Drugs or related items: WhatsApp prohibits the selling of illicit, prescription, or recreational drugs. Nonetheless, the API is accessible to producers who are not engaged in direct sales.
• Tobacco: Businesses are not allowed to use WhatsApp to promote or sell tobacco-related items.
• Alcohol: Alcohol sales through WhatsApp are completely prohibited. On the other hand, WhatsApp allows you to transact for alcohol-related products, including wine glasses, coolers, books, and DVDs.
• Healthcare products and body parts: Medical care equipment and products for quitting smoking that include nicotine, which is harmful to consumers’ health, are not allowed to be sold by businesses.  
• Weapons, explosives, and ammunition: Businesses are not permitted to use the WhatsApp API to advertise the sale of any form of weapon, including firearms, explosives, pepper spray, fireworks, etc.
• Animals: Businesses are prohibited from selling livestock or animal parts due to concerns about animal welfare.
• Gaming and Dating Services: A business that engages in or facilitates any form of gambling activity, including games of skill, lotteries, online casinos, bingo, or poker, is prohibited from offering any gaming service. Dating apps are also banned on WhatsApp.
• Digital content and subscription: While businesses cannot sell unlicensed digital streaming media or devices holding them, digital subscriptions and digital content can. Additionally, it is against the law to sell digital memberships and vouchers.
• Adult Products and Services: Businesses are not allowed to advertise adult products via the WhatsApp API.
• Real, fake, or virtual currency: WhatsApp does not allow the transacting of currencies like debit cards, cryptocurrency, or replicas.

Alternate of WhatsApp Business API for Restricted Industries

If you cannot use WhatsApp Business API for your business, then what will you access? The answer is here: through WhatsApp Bulk messages service. 

With WhatsApp bulk messages, businesses can send similar messages to multiple people with just a single click. Or else you can say WhatsApp is broadcasting to promote your organization. 

Industries can send bulk messages via WhatsApp to communicate with your people. 

Implementing such a feature for any need means you can have one-to-one conversations and send bulk messages on WhatsApp without any restrictions.

Two methods can be used to promote restricted industries by sending WhatsApp bulk messages:

1. Using own number (scan & send)
2. Using virtual numbers (multiple numbers)

Let’s see how these methods will be helpful to them.

1. Using own number (Scan & Send)

The very first method is to use your number for restricted industries with the GetItSMS platform. Follow the below steps:

Step 1: Login or Sign Up on the GetItSMS platform with details like(Username, Email, Mobile number, & Password).

Step 2: On the dashboard, click on the “Add Device” button.

Step 3: A pop-up will be displayed. In it, add your number, including the country code from which messages will be sent.

Step 4: Select the device and tap the QR code icon to “Scan” the QR code on WhatsApp to link your device.

Step 5: Tap on the “Create Campaign” and enter your campaign name.

Step 6: Select your contact list and message template to fill in the details. 

Step 7: In the final step choose the “Immediate/Schedule” option and click on “Submit/Create Campaign”

Note: Before Creating a campaign, you have to enter or upload contact file in excel/csv format under the “Phone Book” section.

That’s it; you are good to go. This is how you can send bulk messages for your business using WhatsApp. Let’s see how the second method will help you.

2. Using virtual numbers

To learn how to use bulk WhatsApp sender with virtual numbers for prohibited industries, contact our team via email, WhatsApp, and call. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. What is the use of WhatsApp API?

A. WhatsApp Business API is used to help large industries communicate with their customers on a large scale, as this was only introduced for medium and large companies.

Q2. Why are some industries restricted from accessing the WhatsApp API?

A. As per WhatsApp’s terms of service, WhatsApp has compiled a list of industries that are restricted from accessing the WhatsApp Business API. 

Q3. What are the WhatsApp bulk messages?

A. With WhatsApp bulk messages, businesses may be able to send similar messages to multiple people with just a single click. 

Q4. How to use WhatsApp for restricted industries?

A. Contact the GetItSMS team to know the method of using WhatsApp for restricted companies.

Q5. Which companies are prohibited from using WhatsApp API?

A. Drugs or related items, Tobacco, Alcohol, Healthcare products and body parts, Weapons, explosives and ammunition, Animals, Gaming and Dating Services, Digital content and subscription, Adult Products and Services, and Real, fake, or virtual currency, these industries are banned from accessing WhatsApp Business API.

Conclusion

That’s it! All necessary techniques for “the Alternate use of official WhatsApp Business API for restricted industries” have been covered. We have discussed WhatsApp Business API, allowed businesses, and which industries can not use it. You can use WhatsApp Web, a group that sends several messages at once. To send mass messages on WhatsApp for such sectors, you must select an appropriate technique. If you have any questions, you can reach out to us for out to proper guidance.