Types of WhatsApp Business Accounts
Your business designation within the WhatsApp ecosystem determines how your business appears to end users.
There are two types of Business Accounts:
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Business Account | By default, any account using the WhatsApp Business Platform or WhatsApp Business App is a business account. WhatsApp verifies authenticity of a brand for every account on the WhatsApp Business Platform. If the account has completed Business Verification, the name of the business is visible even if the user hasn't added the business to their address book. |
| Official Business Account (OBA) | WhatsApp has performed an additional level of vetting to provide a branded profile on the WhatsApp application. Reserved for a few globally recognized enterprises, chosen at WhatsApp's discretion. An official business account is designated by WhatsApp with a green checkmark badge. |
Official business account approval is done at the sole and full discretion of WhatsApp. Generally, Meta reserves Official Business Accounts for internationally recognized brands. Being verified on Facebook or Instagram does not help your business to become an Official Business Account (OBA). OBA designations are evaluated by WhatsApp per WhatsApp Sender. This means that a company with multiple WhatsApp Senders may have some Senders that achieve OBA status, while others may not.
How Business Accounts appear to WhatsApp users
Yet to complete business verification
For companies that have yet to complete Business Verification, the WhatsApp Sender's Display Name ("Perspective Coffee" in the example below) is only displayed in small text next to the phone number on the contacts view (left-hand image) for the business name. In the one-on-one chat view (right-hand image) or the chat list view, only the phone number is displayed.
Business Account- Phone number only
Business verification complete
Once the Meta Business Verification has been completed and the Meta Business Manager is verified, the chat list and chat thread will then show the WhatsApp Display Name (Odin insurance in the example below)
Business Account- Verified
How Official Business Accounts appear to WhatsApp users
If your WhatsApp Business Account has been approved by WhatsApp as an Official Business Account, then a green badge will be displayed next to your Display Name. In the example below, Gupshup is an Official Business Account.
OBA/ Green badge verified account
Learn more about requesting an official business account from Meta Business Help Center guide.
Updated 7 months ago