WhatsApp Business Virtual Number: Setup and Best Practices
A WhatsApp Business virtual number lets you run customer chats on a dedicated number instead of your personal one, so the business can keep the number even if staff or phones change. The most important point is to rent a number you keep, because WhatsApp may ask it for a code again. Numsify lets you rent one on the website or in the app, on iPhone or Android.
How to get it:
- Open numsify.com in your browser, or install the Numsify app from the App Store or Google Play.
- Create an account or sign in.
- Add balance on the top-up page using the payment methods shown there.
- Choose the country your customers are in and open the details of an available number.
- Pick a 1-month, 3-month or 6-month plan, rent the number and start using it.
Numsify is not affiliated with or endorsed by WhatsApp.
How to get it
On the website
Go to numsify.com, sign in or create an account, and choose to rent a number. Select the country your customers are in, look through the available numbers and open one to see its details. Choose the plan length, confirm the purchase from your balance, and the number is added to your account once the rental is confirmed.
In the app
The Numsify app is available on iPhone and Android, as well as on the website. Install it from the App Store or Google Play, sign in, choose the country your customers are in and pick a number.
Paying for it
Add balance on the top-up page using the payment methods shown there.
Before you rent
Open the number's details before you pay. They show what that particular number supports, and capabilities differ by number, country and provider. This matters for WhatsApp in particular: some local rental numbers may not support social media verification, so confirm the number is suitable for WhatsApp before you rent it. Some numbers may require ID verification under local rules.
Why a WhatsApp Business virtual number
Business and personal chats stay apart
Customers message the business number; friends message your personal one. You can mute the business at night and hand it over without giving anyone your personal account.
A number that suits your customers
A local number in your customers' country looks familiar and avoids hesitation from people unused to international numbers.
Long-term is what matters most
WhatsApp Business can ask the number for a code when you reinstall, change phones or move the account to a new device. A rented number keeps receiving those codes. A one-time code number does not, and losing the business account means losing every customer chat on it.
Registering the number
Before you start
Install WhatsApp Business, decide which country your number should be in, and check the number's details before you rent.
Step by step
- Rent the number for as long as the business will use it.
- Open WhatsApp Business and enter the country and number.
- Request the SMS code and enter it when it appears in Numsify.
- Fill in the business profile.
- Turn on two-step verification with a PIN and an email.
If the code does not arrive
Wait for the timer to finish before asking again, check the country and number, and keep the Numsify app open. If WhatsApp refuses the number, contact us before renting another one.
Personal and business on one phone
WhatsApp and WhatsApp Business are separate apps, so one phone can run your personal account and the business account side by side, each on its own number.
Setting up the business profile
- Name: use the name customers know, and keep it consistent with your website and listings.
- Description and hours: say what you do and when you reply.
- Address or service area: helps customers know whether you cover them.
- Profile photo: your logo, clear at small sizes.
- Greeting and away messages: a short greeting and an out-of-hours reply that says when you will answer.
- Catalogue: list your main products or services so customers can browse before they ask.
Messaging customers well
Only message people who contacted you or agreed to hear from you, and stop as soon as someone asks. Follow WhatsApp's Business policies for anything beyond replies.
- Answer within a working day.
- Use quick replies for common questions.
- Use labels to track new, pending and completed orders.
Planning for change
Staff leave, phones break and businesses grow. Plan for it now:
- Keep the number on a plan you will renew, and move the account to another number before you ever cancel.
- Store the two-step verification PIN and email in a shared business record, not one person's head.
- When someone else takes over the account, register it on their phone with a fresh code to the rented number, and update the PIN.
Linked devices
WhatsApp Business can run on extra devices, such as a computer at the shop counter, through its linked-devices feature. That lets more than one person read and reply without anyone needing the phone that holds the account.
Features
| Feature | Status in Numsify |
|---|---|
| Number rental on the website and in the app (iPhone and Android) | Available |
| Receive SMS on a rented number | Available |
| Sending SMS | Each number's supported features, such as receiving or sending SMS, are shown before you buy. |
| Internet voice calls, outgoing and incoming | Available on eligible rented numbers; depends on number, country, provider and destination |
| Number details page before you rent | Available; shows what that particular number supports, which differs by number, country and provider |
Voice calls need an internet connection and the relevant permissions on your device.
Plans
| Plan | Best when | Price |
|---|---|---|
| 6-month | The number is on your website, packaging or listings | See current prices: website · App Store · Current prices: Numsify website · Google Play · App Store |
| 3-month | You are trialling WhatsApp Business with a new market | See current prices: website · App Store · Current prices: Numsify website · Google Play · App Store |
| 1-month | You need a number for a short campaign | See current prices: website · App Store · Current prices: Numsify website · Google Play · App Store |
Subscriptions renew automatically unless you cancel them. If you do cancel, move any important accounts to another number first, because a number that is no longer rented may be given to someone else.
Best for
Small shops and service businesses
One WhatsApp Business number for orders, bookings and questions.
Businesses selling abroad
A local number in the country your customers are in.
Teams that share customer chats
A business number that is not anyone's personal phone.
Frequently asked questions
Can I move my existing WhatsApp Business account to the virtual number?
Yes. Use the change-number option in WhatsApp Business settings to move the account and its chats to the rented number. The account keeps its chats and business profile, so customers can carry on in the same conversation.
Can customers call the business on WhatsApp?
Yes, WhatsApp calls go over the internet within WhatsApp, separate from the number's own calling features.
How do customers find my WhatsApp Business number?
Put it on your website, listings, invoices and shop window. WhatsApp Business also gives you a short link and a QR code to share, so customers can start a chat with one tap instead of saving the number first.
Rent a number for WhatsApp Business
Give your business its own WhatsApp number. Start on numsify.com or in the app, add balance on the top-up page, and if you have a question about a number before you rent it, contact us.