WhatsApp OTP: How to send OTP on WhatsApp

Date:

February 28, 2023

Updated on:

Read time:

5 mins

Written by

Yogesh Narayanan

Illustrated by

Arvin David

October 27, 2024

In today's digital age, the use of One-Time Passwords (OTPs) has become increasingly important to ensure the security of personal and sensitive information. Traditionally, companies have used SMS (Short Messaging Service) to send OTPs to their customers. However, the market is changing rapidly. While many companies are still using SMS messages for sending OTPs, some industry giants have started to switch to WhatsApp. In addition to being one of the most used communication platforms, WhatsApp also provides end-to-end encryption to ensure excellent security. So, let’s take a deep dive into how WhatsApp can help you.

Difference between SMS OTPs and WhatsApp OTPs

The use of OTPs has gained momentum all around the world. This is because people want to create a strong barrier of protection to ensure that hackers don’t get access to their personal or sensitive information. While SMS is the most common option in India, WhatsApp is quickly becoming a great alternative. Understanding the following differences can help your company is using the right medium to send OTP messages.

Get started using a WhatsApp Business API account

If you’re planning to use WhatsApp to send OTPs, then it's necessary to create your own WhatsApp Business API account. This is because only registered business owners who have access to business template messages can send One-Time Passwords to their customers. To set up your own WhatsApp Business API account, you just need to have

A mobile number & internet connection.
A business name.

Once you have these two, you can contact a WhatsApp Business Solutions Provider (BSP) and register your WhatsApp Business API. For more detailed step-by-step guidance, you can check out our WhatsApp API blog.

Start sending OTPs via WhatsApp using WhatsApp Business API

Once you have a WhatsApp API account, you can start sending OTPs almost immediately. WhatsApp offers two options for sending OTP messages. We will briefly outline both of the processes below:

Send OTPs via Whatsapp using a dedicated mobile number

There are some requirements that your company need to satisfy before WhatsApp allows you to send OTPs. They are:

Having a dedicated WhatsApp number for your business (this should be associated with your WhatsApp Business profile and not your personal profile).
Adding a display name to your WhatsApp Business profile. It is also preferable to have a verified business profile.
Having a verified Facebook Business Manager profile.

Once you have all three prerequisites, you can create an OTP template message & submit it for approval. Some BSPs like Gallabox can also help you create good template messages. Here are two OTP template message examples:

Template 1:

Hi <Name>, Your OTP is <OTP Code>. Use this code to log in to your <Company Name> account. can_copy_tExt

Template 2:

<OTP> is your One Time Password for your profile verification at <Company Name>, one of the best digital marketing agencies in India. Please note that this OTP will only be valid for the next 15 minutes. can_copy_tExt

You can simply add the template to your chat window or broadcast with the trigger keyword (‘/’ by default).

Note: You can also create an automated chat flow for the template with the help of your BSP.

Send OTPs via WhatsApp using a shared mobile number

To send OTPs using a shared number, you need to contact your BSP and get access to the WhatsApp shared inbox. The shared team inbox is a collaborative workplace that allows multiple agents to log into a single WhatsApp number. Once you’re done, any of your team members can use the template message.

Best practices for sending OTPs via WhatsApp

Now that we’ve looked at how to send OTPs via WhatsApp, we would like to talk about some best practices that you need to follow. Please note that some of these are strict guidelines that ensure you don’t violate WhatsApp’s business & commerce policies.

Send OTPs only to verified numbers

OTPs are sensitive information and your company should maintain absolute security to avoid leaks. For this reason, it's important to share OTPs to only verified WhatsApp numbers. If you've added unsaved numbers to your broadcast list and want to share the OTP with them, it is better to add additional verification processes like app or email verification.

Notify users of OTP expiration

Trust & transparency stands at the forefront of customer conversations. Therefore, it is critical that you inform your customers about the expiration of the OTP messages. If you don't share the expiration period, customers might get annoyed and there is a chance that they opt out of your messages or report your company to WhatsApp.

Monitor & log access attempts

It is also important to log all the access attempts to know if the OTP template chats are working. If too many customers are requesting two to three OTPs, you must identify and fix the problem immediately. Monitoring the OTP messages can also show you opportunities for improvement.

Look to automate

Customers expect OTP messages to be delivered instantly. So, you need to automate the chat flow as much as possible. Automation can also help you monitor whether the OTPs are working. However, it is important to ensure that any automation shouldn’t cause harm to the customer’s experience.

Incorporate branding if possible

Although OTPs are traditionally not marketing-focused, WhatsApp OTPs provide you with opportunities to improve your brand’s visibility. Incorporating your brand’s name & other important information can help you create instant visibility and boost brand awareness.

Setup WhatsApp Business API account via Gallabox - WhatsApp Business Automation Platform

WhatsApp is quickly becoming a great platform for sending OTP messages because of its efficiency & security. If you’re looking to integrate WhatsApp OTP into your workflow, then it is paramount to partner with a WhatsApp Business tool like Gallabox. Gallabox lets you automate your customer conversations on WhatsApp and offers a transparent pricing. We have clients across various industries. Our team also has expertise in helping companies integrate their WhatsApp Business APIs with CRMs, e-commerce platforms and payment gateways. So don’t hesitate to start your free trial now!