WhatsApp has unveiled a slew of new features tailored for businesses during Meta’s second annual Conversations conference held in Mumbai, India. These features aim to enhance the interaction between businesses and their customers on the WhatsApp platform.
Flows
This feature empowers businesses to create customized chat experiences for their customers. With Flows, businesses can design interactive menus and forms within chats, enabling customers to perform various actions without leaving the conversation. For example, a bank could facilitate appointment bookings for new account openings, a food delivery service could streamline orders from partner restaurants or an airline could offer check in and seat selection options. Flows will soon be accessible to businesses worldwide using the WhatsApp Business Platform.
Payments
WhatsApp is simplifying the purchase process by introducing Payments. In India, customers can add items to their cart and make payments within the chat through various methods, including supported UPI apps, debit/credit cards and more. WhatsApp has collaborated with payment partners Razorpay and PayU to facilitate these transactions. Payments are already operational in Brazil and Singapore and are expanding to other regions.
Meta Verified
This feature enables businesses to earn verification from Meta, assuring customers that they are interacting with a legitimate business. To attain Meta Verified status, businesses must prove their authenticity to Meta, earning a verified badge along with enhanced account support and protection against impersonation. Meta Verified also comes with premium features, including the creation of a custom WhatsApp page that’s easily discoverable through web searches and multi device support to facilitate efficient customer responses. The testing phase for Meta Verified is planned for small businesses using the WhatsApp Business app, with future integration into the WhatsApp Business Platform.