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Phone Number Migration to respond.io WhatsApp Business API

Joshua Lim Updated by Joshua Lim

Benefits of Migrating to respond.io WhatsApp Business API

Migrating to respond.io's WhatsApp Business API provides businesses with a wide range of benefits. One of the key benefits of migrating is the lower costs and transparent charges that respond.io provides with its Conversational Billing Module. This feature ensures that businesses can manage their expenses with ease, making it a cost-effective option.

Another significant benefit of migrating to respond.io is access to the latest WhatsApp Business API features. As a trusted business solution provider, respond.io guarantees a reliable and uninterrupted WhatsApp service. Therefore, businesses can take full advantage of the platform's capabilities without worrying about any downtime.

Moreover, migrating to respond.io has zero impact on a business's workflows and broadcasts. Respond.io ensures that its migration process is seamless, and businesses can continue their WhatsApp activities without any hassle.

To summarize, migrating to respond.io allows you to enjoy:

  • Lower Costs and Transparent Charges with our intuitive WhatsApp Fees Module
  • Support for the latest features of WhatsApp Business API
  • Reliable Service and Connection with no interruptions to your WhatsApp Activities.
  • Zero Impact on your workflows and broadcasts upon successfully migrating to respond.io

What will be Migrated?

Note that the following elements can be migrated from your other BSP WhatsApp account to respond.io WhatsApp Business API

Can be migrated

  • Display name
  • Quality rating
  • Messaging limits
  • Official Business Account status
  • Any high-quality message templates previously approved

Cannot be migrated

  • Low-quality, rejected, or pending message templates.

Pre-Migration Requirements: What to Prepare for Your Migration Setup

Before starting the migration process, businesses need to prepare some key requirements to ensure a successful migration. The following are the pre-migration requirements for migrating to respond.io WhatsApp Business API:

  • You need to disable your two-step verification under your Meta Business Manager page settings.
  • Your business must be verified. If your business is unverified, learn how to verify it here.
  • You have to use the same business account in your Meta Business Manager that is currently linked to your other WhatsApp BSP account.
  • You need to have a Facebook account with admin access role to sign in and select or create a new WhatsApp Business Account under respond.io to migrate to.
  • You must ensure you have enough slots to add new WhatsApp Business Accounts.
  • You must have access to the phone number you want to migrate in order to receive a One-Time Password (OTP) through SMS or via a phone call.
  • Disable any IVR or other greetings enabled for the phone number you are registering.
  • Allow Pop Ups on your browser.
It's highly recommended to create a WhatsApp Business Account within the migration flow process to prevent any issues. Avoid creating an account separately to ensure a smooth migration process.
Users who have no access to disable the 2-Step Verification should contact their current Business Provider to help disable it for them.

Steps to migrate to respond.io WhatsApp Business API

Step 1: Begin Phone Number Migration

Open the Migration dialog by clicking "Migrate Now" button located in your workspace channel settings page or next to all other BSP WhatsApp channels connected. Read the eligibility guideline and hit the checkbox to proceed.

Step 2: Sign in with your Facebook account and select or create a new WhatsApp Business Account

Click on the Sign in with Facebook button, and a dialog will appear prompting you to sign into your facebook account. You will then be prompted to create or select an existing WhatsApp Business Account registered under respond.io official business page.

When creating a new WhatsApp Business Account, make sure to exit the dialog once the screen displays "Account Created," as shown in the animated flow below. Otherwise, you may face implications trying to migrate your phone number.

Step 3: Provide the phone number

Input the phone number along with the country code in the input field as shown below. Then, select whether you want to receive the one-time password (OTP) via an SMS or a phone call.

Users who are using a virtual phone number must access the virtual phone number provider to receive the One-Time Password (OTP) via an SMS or a phone call.

Step 4: Select the channel you want to migrate

If your other WhatsApp BSP account is not connected to a channel under your workspace, you can tick the check box “I don’t have any channel on respond.io linked to this phone number.” You can skip to Step 5.

Otherwise, based on the channel or phone number provided that you are migrating, the system will automatically select the corresponding channel for you. If you do not see any selected channel or suspect that the suggested one is incorrect, you can manually remove it by clicking on the designated remove icon. Then, you may input the correct channel ID of the channel you intend to migrate from.

It is important to provide the correct channel ID when inputting manually to avoid issues with existing channels, workflows, and broadcasts. Obtain the channel ID by visiting your workspace's channel settings. Contact support if unsure which channel ID to provide.

Step 5: Verify ownership of the phone number

Verify ownership of the phone number you wish to migrate by inputting the one-time password (OTP) you should have received via an SMS or a phone call.

Step 6: Check the Migrated Phone Number under your Channels.

Congratulations on migrating your WhatsApp Business account to respond.io! Your migrated phone number should now be connected to the respond.io Business API channel, found in your workspace channels settings. You can now configure it, access the WhatsApp Fees Module to manage your balance, and send and receive messages.

Additionally, Your broadcasts and workflows that were previously set up for your WhatsApp account channel are now automatically reconfigured to work with your newly connected respond.io WhatsApp Business API channel.

Learn more about respond.io WhatsApp Business API channels by reading this quick start guide.

Managing your WhatsApp Fees Module Balance

Once you have migrated to respond.io's WhatsApp Business API, your account will be added to the WhatsApp Fees Module. You can manage your balance by accessing the module via your workspace channel settings or organization settings. Any conversations that occur under your respond.io WhatsApp Business API channel will be billed accordingly, and any conversation fees charged to your previous WhatsApp API provider will be refunded to your wallet at the end of the billing cycle.

Learn more about respond.io WhatsApp Fees Module by reading this guide.

FAQ and Troubleshooting

I don’t have a WhatsApp channel connected on respond.io, Can I still migrate?

Yes, If you don't have a channel on respond.io, a new respond.io WhatsApp Business API channel will be created for you when you successfully migrate.

Will the conversation windows remain open after I migrate my phone number?

Yes, you can keep any open conversation window even after migrating your phone number to the respond.io WhatsApp Business API. For example, if you had an ongoing conversation with a contact while using WhatsApp 360dialog, the window will still be available when you switch to respond.io. It is important to note that migrating your number will not reset the conversation window timer, so the remaining time will still be applicable.

How long will the migration process take?

Our platform migration flow should allow for the completion of the process within 5 minutes.

Is there any downtime during the migration process?

No, during the migration process, there will be no downtime, and any messages sent to your phone number will be received once the migration is completed.

What is the impact of migration on WhatsApp Billing?

All conversations that occur under your respond.io WhatsApp Business API channel will be billed accordingly, and any conversation fees charged to your previous WhatsApp API provider will be refunded to your wallet at the end of the billing cycle. Messages sent before the migration will be charged to the previous provider, while messages sent after the migration will be charged to respond.io. Additionally, any messages sent from the previous provider that are not delivered before the migration will still be charged to the previous provider when they are delivered.

I have created workflow and broadcasts using another WhatsApp BSP channel , will they still work after migrating?

yes, your broadcasts and workflows that were previously set up for your previous BSP provider connected channel are now automatically reconfigured to work with your newly connected respond.io WhatsApp Business API channel.

I am receiving an error saying “Phone numbers count exceeded limit per business. You have already linked the maximum number of phone numbers allowed for this business account.” What should I do?

It's possible that you've added too many phones to your WhatsApp Business Account, surpassing the limit. To rectify this, go to the Business Meta settings page and select "WhatsApp accounts." Choose the WhatsApp account you wish to migrate, click on "settings," and then select "WhatsApp Manager." From there, you can remove a phone number that you no longer use, thereby freeing up space for the phone number you want to migrate. If you wish to avoid deleting any phone numbers, you may want to consider verifying your business to gain access to a higher limit of phone numbers that can be added. Learn more on Meta business verification here.

Feeling stuck? Do not fear.

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