A guide to the WhatsApp Business Calling API

WhatsApp Business Calling API is on the way! This new beta feature from Meta enables organizations using the WhatsApp Business Platform for their customer messaging to add voice calling to the user experience, enabling people to call the business whenever they need to, just like they would with friends and family.

According to our recent research, making brand communication more like speaking with a friend is exactly what the majority of people want. We can think of so many scenarios where being able to make a quick call to a business would save time and make life easier for customers, whether they need to explain a complex problem, discuss a personal matter, or just want to speak to a person before committing to a major purchase.

This builds on the diverse range of WhatsApp features designed specifically for businesses including WhatsApp Flows and payments and means that the entire user journey from discovery to purchase can be finalized in a single WhatsApp thread.

In this blog we dive into the details of how customers can call a business, requirements and limitations of the WhatsApp Business Calling API, and how brands can join the Beta program and start bringing the benefits to their own customers.

WhatsApp Business Calling API is a new feature of the WhatsApp Business Platform that is currently in limited beta phase. It enables businesses to add Voice-over-IP (VoIP) calling to B2C interactions on WhatsApp that customers already use to message and make calls to friends and family.

This means that customers and prospects will be able to call the business when they need extra support, and with permission, the business can call customers directly too (more on the specific opt-in rules later).

By incorporating the new voice channel into their existing communication strategy, businesses can create data-driven, conversational, and contextually relevant experiences for their customers.

Being able to call a business within the context of a chat is game changing, but if we had to pick the three most important benefits for customers, we would go for these:

Being able to exchange messages with a business for free whenever you feel like is already extremely convenient. But being able to hit the call icon in a chat takes convenience to the next level.

Maybe it would be too time consuming to type what you need to ask, or maybe you want to discuss a private matter that you don’t want to appear in your chat history. In many cases a voice conversation is a much more convenient and efficient way of achieving a goal. Now both options are available in one place with no need to switch device or channel.    

Imagine you are installing a new router based on instructions on the manufacturer’s website. You get to the final step but the picture in the step-by-step guide looks different to yours. By being able to click on a special WhatsApp call icon on the website you can be routed straight to an agent that is specifically trained to deal with installation issues.

You get an instant answer and don’t have to wait on hold or search for help online, which could result in the installation timing out and having to be restarted

When making a purchase of a high value or technically complicated product it can be reassuring to talk to an expert. Speaking to a person means that you can build up a rapport and trust the advice they give a lot more quickly. If a negotiation is required, then this can be conducted far more easily with a voice call.

Once again, the call deep link feature facilitates a connection to the agent in the best position to provide this reassurance.

The use cases that are being targeted for the Beta release primarily cover customer and sales support scenarios. Further use cases will be rolled out in the future.

It is inevitable that some customers will need to speak to a human agent sooner or later. If they move away from WhatsApp to do this then it leads to a broken user journey with an incomplete history of the interaction, and a higher likelihood of an unsatisfactory outcome.

By being able to call from WhatsApp, all communication is in one place with no disjointed user experience.

For example, imagine a traveler interacting with an airline on WhatsApp. For simple requests like check-in, meal requests, and flight status updates then an agent or chatbot could easily help without the requirement for a voice call. However, if the person wanted to reschedule their flight or needed help with a more complex problem, then being able to speak to someone would be expected.

WhatsApp Business Calling API would be the ideal solution for this and many other customer support use cases as there is no need for the person to leave WhatsApp, meaning continuity and a complete audit trail are ensured.

Both the research and common sense suggest that consumers prefer to speak to a representative of the business when making high value transactions, or for issues that are time sensitive, or relate to private financial and medical issues. Sometimes only a human can provide the peace of mind that the problem is understood and will be resolved appropriately.

WhatsApp has been proven to be a highly effective channel for nurturing leads by providing curated information via rich media and implementing flows that guide people through the purchase funnel. With WhatsApp Business Calling API these workflows can be further enhanced with the option to call an agent, or by providing permission to be contacted.

WhatsApp Business Calling API allows users to speak to a business via WhatsApp by tapping on the call icon, or by selecting an option that is sent to them as part of a message on WhatsApp. 

As part of the WhatsApp Business Calling API implementation, businesses can incorporate an IVR menu, which users can interact with to select their required option using a numeric keypad displayed on WhatsApp.

Some of our beta customers are routing inbound calls via our cloud contact center solution, Conversations, which provides them the flexibility to offer messaging or voice calls via WhatsApp.

Calls can be connected to other VoIP, for example webRTC and SIP, although connecting WhatsApp calls to PSTN networks (mobiles or fixed line) is not supported.

Importantly, the availability of the call option can be enabled or disabled depending on the use case, region, or other factor. 

Business to person calls are now available. Meta has issued guidelines on how permissioning must be obtained*.

To call a person, the business must get permission from the user by sending a specific call permission request via WhatsApp. A request can only be sent when an existing marketing, utility, authentication, service, or free entry point conversation is open.

A business can send a maximum of 1 permission request in 24 hours, and 2 permission requests in 7 days.

Once permission has been granted by a user the business can place one connected call to the user within 72 hours of when the permission was granted.

* Guidelines subject to change

Yes. To make a call, a business must get permission from the user. A call permission request can only be sent when an existing marketing, utility, authentication, service, or free entry point conversation is open.

International calling is supported.

Video calls are not yet included in the beta version.

Yes. For example, while on a support call with an agent, both customers and agents would be able to send text and rich media messages during the call, without leaving the app.

Meta is aiming to make the WhatsApp Business Calling API generally available next year, but this date may change depending on how the beta progresses.

In some industries, for example finance and banking, it is standard practice to record certain calls for compliance purposes. This function is not natively supported by the WhatsApp Business Calling API beta, but it is supported by our own integration, so our customers will be able to record WhatsApp calls.

We are keen to help any organization from selected countries to get involved in the beta program and to start experimenting with use cases. For existing Infobip customers, we would encourage you to get in contact with your account representative who will be able to guide you through the process.

If you haven’t worked with us before then please get in touch using this form and we will be in contact.  

Meta plans to officially release the feature in 2025 so there is plenty of time to get a head start and fine tune your use cases.