WhatsApp calling for business: how call permissions work

Why calls inside WhatsApp are worth having

Plenty of customers would rather speak than type, especially for a quote, a complaint or a booking that has gone back and forth. Until recently that meant moving the conversation to a normal phone call, and losing the chat history in the process.

WhatsApp now lets a business call a customer from the same account it chats from, so the conversation, the call and the follow-up stay in one place. The catch is that calling is built around the customer's consent.

The customer has to say yes first

A business cannot simply ring a customer. WhatsApp requires the customer to allow calls from that business, and it enforces this on its side, so no software can get around it.

The customer gives permission by tapping Allow on a call-permission request that you send in the chat. There are two kinds of permission. A temporary permission lasts 7 days from the moment they allow it. A permanent permission, which the customer can choose, lasts until they take it back. Either way the customer can withdraw it at any time.

Permission can also be lost if you call several times in a row and nobody answers: after four unanswered calls WhatsApp cancels an approved permission.

How to ask for permission

The request is a short message with Allow and Don't allow buttons. There are two ways to send it.

Inside the 24-hour window, when the customer has messaged you in the last 24 hours, you can send it as a normal message. Outside that window you need an approved message template that carries the call-permission request, because free-form messages are not allowed once the window has closed.

WhatsApp also limits how often you can ask the same person: one request a day and two a week, and the count restarts once a call actually connects. So ask when you have a reason, and do not repeat the request if the customer ignores it.

Who can use business calling

This guide is about calls started from a WhatsApp Business Platform workspace such as Karyagrah. Calling inside the consumer and Business apps is a separate experience. For API calling, the feature must be enabled for the business number and the app needs whatsapp_business_messaging permission. Meta currently requires the business portfolio to have a daily business-initiated conversation limit of at least 2,000.

Business-initiated API calls are not currently available from business numbers in the United States, Canada, Egypt, Vietnam or Nigeria, although customers in supported scenarios can still call a business. Availability and eligibility can change, so check the Calling page in WhatsApp Manager before making it part of an important workflow.

How Karyagrah handles it

Calling in Karyagrah is in beta. Our team switches Calling on for your number once it is eligible, so there is nothing to configure on your side.

When an agent clicks Call in a chat, Karyagrah first asks WhatsApp whether this customer has allowed calls. If they have, the call starts in the browser. If not, a window explains where things stand and sends the permission request with one click, and it updates by itself when the customer answers. If the 24-hour window has closed, it tells the agent plainly, instead of failing.

Call audio passes through our servers in real time to connect the agent's browser to WhatsApp, and it is not recorded. We keep the record of the call: the number, time, duration and outcome.

Good habits for calling customers

Tell the customer why you want to call in the permission message. A request that says what the call is about is far more likely to be accepted than a bare one.

Call at sensible hours, keep it short, and send a summary in the chat afterwards. If a customer says no, leave it. Respecting the answer protects your number's quality rating, and a good rating protects everything else you send on WhatsApp.

Official sources and further reading

WhatsApp policies, product behaviour and pricing can change. Refer to these first-party resources for current rules.

• About the WhatsApp Business Platform — Meta for Developers
• WhatsApp Business Messaging Policy — WhatsApp

Frequently asked questions

Can I call any customer on WhatsApp?

No. Only customers who have allowed calls from your business number. You ask with a permission request, and they choose Allow or Don't allow.

How long does call permission last?

A temporary permission lasts 7 days. If the customer chooses to allow calls permanently, it lasts until they withdraw it. Four unanswered calls in a row cancel an approved permission.

Can customers call my business without permission?

Yes. Customers can call a business number that has Calling switched on, wherever the WhatsApp Business Platform is available. The permission rule is only for calls the business starts.

Does Karyagrah record WhatsApp calls?

No. Call audio is relayed live and not recorded or stored. Karyagrah keeps a record of each call (number, time, duration and outcome) so your team can see the history.