The convenience of messaging on WhatsApp is unrivaled and most people prefer the platform for all communications, even business related, more reason the company is launching what it calls Business API to let businesses respond to messages from customers.
While the service is free for up to 24 hours, businesses will still be able to respond to customers who contacted them, albeit the API is programmed to help them send out information like confirmations, reminders or event tickets.
They can also use it to respond to customer service inquiries through their own apps via tools like: Zendesk and Twilio, which service is open to small businesses to send late replies one after the other for free.
The WhatsApp Business API essentially offers businesses easy communication with customers all over the world, in a simple, secure, and reliable way.
The company, however will look to monitize their platform by charging for each message if the company fails to respond to customers after that 24hrs time-period, which cost is estimated to range from 0.5 cents to 9 cents.
Although, the charges will vary for different countries as WhatsApp could be looking to keep up with the local level of standard SMS charges.
On the security front, WhatsApp maintains that all messaging between businesses and their customers will be end-to-end encrypted, even via the API.
And perhaps, the WhatsApp Business API could serve as alternative to customer service centers, and the convenience of asynchronous messaging will spur users to communicate with companies on it instead of direct phone calls.
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