How to apply for a Official Business Account (Self Service)

Meta has defined two types of WhatsApp accounts: Business Accounts and Official Business Accounts(OBA). An official business account has a blue checkmark in its profile and chat thread headers, and the display name will appear as its name, rather than a phone number on the end user's device.

Read more in Meta’s documentation

Not all businesses will be granted OBA status. Meta has strict guidelines for determining whether or not a customer will be granted this status. Meta must see that the company is an authentic, notable brand, which is verified via the Business Verification process.

Important information about the Official Business Account status:

• This is different to Facebook Page “blue tick”; just because a company has this “blue tick”, it does not mean they will automatically be granted with an OBA status.
• This is different from Business Verification; just because a company is verified does not mean it will automatically be granted an OBA status.
• This status is granted on a WhatsApp phone number basis; that is, a request must be submitted for each phone number, and just because one phone number has been granted the status, it does not mean it will automatically be granted for all other numbers
• Business Verification and Display Name approval need to be completed before applying for this status
• Two-factor authentication must be enabled before applying; follow the instructions here to enable it
• WABAs must be created at least 30 days before requesting an Official Business Account (OBA)

How to submit a request: (tutorial video)

1. Navigate to the WhatsApp Business Account which hosts the number you wish to submit a request for

2. In the left-hand navigation banner, navigate to “Phone Numbers” 

3. Click the Settings toggle button on the right, corresponding to the WhatsApp number you wish to edit

4. Select the “Profile” tab

5. Under “Official business account”, select “Submit Request” and follow the Meta-hosted screens to submit the request 

          Under the “Links” section, we encourage you to submit as many recent news articles as you can (at least 3),  to show your company is topical and relevant in the news. The more recent, the better.

Note: After meeting the criteria, if you see that the "submit request" button is not enabled for you or is greyed out, please contact the Vonage Support team, and we will be able to request an OBA on your behalf.

6. Meta will then review the request. This is normally completed within 1-2 working days. You will receive an email from Meta when the review is complete

Rejected Requests

Not all companies will be approved as official business accounts. Currently, you cannot appeal these decisions. You can submit another request in 30 days' time.

Need help?

Contact us via the support page and submit a request