Which WhatsApp version is best for customer service?

WhatsApp has over 2 billion daily active users. It’s a favourite channel for many—not just for personal use, but also to communicate with brands.

Why? Because it ticks all the boxes:

• Instant messaging
• Send photos and documents
• Rich, clickable links

That’s why integrating WhatsApp for customer service into your contact centre is never—and we mean never—a bad investment.

There are three versions of WhatsApp on the market: the standard app, WhatsApp Business, and WhatsApp Business API.

Not all services are designed for professional customer service, which is why this post breaks down the pros and cons of each and helps you choose the right one for your setup.

1. WHATSAPP

The classic app we all know, available via the Play Store (Android), App Store (iOS) and AppGallery (Huawei), is not intended for business use. It’s designed for personal conversations—user to user.

PROS

• Can be used on multiple devices: mobile and desktop.
• Free to download and set up.

CONS

• You can only use one phone number.
• Only one user can access the account.
• No way to distribute chats among different users.
• Chatbots can’t be enabled for out-of-hours responses or when agents are unavailable.
• No option to set automated messages (like welcome messages or out-of-hours replies).
• Chats can’t be monitored.
• Conversations can’t be categorised.
• No performance metrics per agent are available.
• No option to integrate with external tools like a CRM—you can’t auto-generate tickets after a chat.

2. WHATSAPP BUSINESS

As the name suggests, this service is intended for business use. But not for contact centres. It has several limitations—chief among them, that only one user can be connected at a time.

PROS

• Can be used on multiple devices: mobile and desktop.
• Allows configuration of basic automated messages: welcome messages, away messages and quick replies via shortcuts.
  For example, when a customer asks “What are your opening hours?”, you can reply using the shortcut /hours, which sends the saved message automatically.
• Free to download and set up.

CONS

• You can only use one phone number.
• Only one user can access the account.
• No way to distribute chats among different users.
• You can’t enable a chatbot to handle messages outside working hours or when agents are unavailable.
• No chat monitoring capabilities.
• No way to categorise conversations.
• No way to track agent performance.
• No option to integrate with external tools like a CRM—you can’t auto-generate tickets after a chat.

3. WHATSAPP BUSINESS API

WhatsApp’s API gives you access to the WhatsApp Cloud API, a cloud-based service offering far more advanced and customisable features than the free versions.

PROS

• Can be used on multiple devices: mobile and desktop.
• Allows dynamic automated messages: on top of standard welcome and away messages, you can set rules based on agent availability, long wait times, and more.
• Supports multiple phone numbers.
• Unlimited users can access it—via contact centre software, the user limit depends on your plan.
• You can set up chat distribution queues and assign agents accordingly.
• Enable AI agents to respond outside working hours or when all agents are busy.
• Monitor chats in real time.
• Categorise conversations.
• Extract KPIs like average response time and average handling time per agent.
• Integrate with your CRM and keep a record of conversations with customers and prospects.

CONS

• There’s a cost for activating the chat module for agents and supervisors, as well as the WhatsApp API service itself.

THE ULTIMATE SOLUTION FOR HANDLING WHATSAPP MESSAGES

If you only have a single receptionist managing calls, SMS, emails—and now WhatsApp—a standard WhatsApp Business account will likely be enough.

If you’re assigning a full team to manage WhatsApp messages and run marketing campaigns on the platform, then you’ll need to use WhatsApp Business API.

To do that, you’ll need to enable the WhatsApp channel within your contact centre software and configure queues, overflow rules, AI agents, automated messages, and so on.

WANT TO SEE IT IN ACTION?

Our experts are ready to show you our WhatsApp integration within Omnichannel Contact Centre.
Call us for a demo on 900 670 750, message us on WhatsApp, or fill in the form below 👇.