WhatsApp launches new feature for businesses

Facebook owned popular instant messaging platform WhatsApp made it debut on the App Store in 2009(November), and Play Store in 2010 (August), and is now enjoyed by one billion daily active users. Initially the services were offered with a $1 annual subscription fee yearly, but in 2016, the service went complete free. Since then, WhatsApp has been exploring ways to monetize its platform to generate income. Recently details regarding WhatsApp Business was spotted on its FAQ page.

And now WhatsApp has announced that its building and testing new tools via a free WhatsApp Business app for small companies and an enterprise solution for bigger companies operating at a larger scale. These businesses will  provide customers with useful notifications like flight times, delivery confirmations, and other updates via WhatsApp business. While the service will be free for small businesses, bigger companies like airlines, e-commerce and back will have to pay to use some of the service's feature.

WhatsApp is testing the new tools though a closed pilot program, and will allow users to communicate with the businesses they want to reach on WhatsApp. Business accounts will have a verified profile that's indicated by a "green badge", which will allow users easily identify a business, making it easier to respond to messages. Businesses will also be able to set working hours, address, description of the business, and link Facbook profile as well. The conversations will be end-to-end encrypted and users will have the option to block business account which they do not want to be contacted by.  

“Our approach is simple – we want to apply what we’ve learned helping people connect with each other to helping people connect with businesses that are important to them,” said WhatsApp in a blog post.

KLM Royal Dutch airlines will be the first airline with a verified WhatsApp businesses account, that will let customers directly contact KLM's social media service agents 24/7 to know about booking confirmation, check-in notification, boarding pass, flight status updates and asking questions in 10 different languages.