Creating a WhatsApp Business account without a physical SIM card requires a virtual phone number. A virtual phone number replaces the need for a physical SIM card to obtain an OTP or a verification call.
Now you know a virtual phone number can work as an alternative to a physical SIM (number), it is important to understand how and where to get the virtual phone number for the WhatsApp Business account.
Don't worry. This article will help you understand the fundamentals of acquiring a virtual phone number for a WhatsApp Business and creating a WhatsApp Business account without a physical SIM Card.
Let us briefly go through the basics first:
What is a virtual phone number for WhatsApp?
A virtual phone number is a make-believe phone number, not related to any physical SIM Card but functions (exactly) the same as a standard phone number to make and receive calls and send and receive messages and also receive and make calls.
The distinctive part of the virtual phone number is you do not essentially need a phone to make calls and receive messages. All you need is a digital device to run the application to host the virtual phone number from where you can make calls and send messages.
Communication is made possible using the internet over VoIP. The best part is you can make video calls by using a virtual phone number, which is a limitation in many developing countries through a regular phone number.
To answer the question, a virtual phone number for WhatsApp is nothing more than a virtual phone number that you can use to create a WhatsApp account like a regular SIM number.
What is a WhatsApp Business account?
A WhatsApp Business account is just like a regular WhatsApp account, but it allows you to interact with your business's customers to make sales, advertise new products and services, address customer issues, and collect feedback on a personal level from your customers.
You can also use a WhatsApp Business account to add your products and services using business ⚙ to display them to your customers, through which you can make direct sales.
You can also segregate your customers using labels from business tools to identify them and communicate with them accordingly easily. It improves your customer service and aids in the seamless customer experience with your business.
Now you know the basics of virtual phone numbers and WhatsApp Business accounts, let us get back to the topic and discuss it in detail.
How to obtain a virtual phone number for WhatsApp Business?
While acquiring a virtual phone number from a service provider, you should be careful. There are several aspects to consider while obtaining a virtual phone number.
Let us briefly go through them:
Things consider while obtaining a virtual phone number
1. Budget & virtual number plans
You should only consider those virtual phone number plans that your budget can sustain. Always discard the plans that are out of your budget. Plans with minimal cost and maximum features are the best.
2. Customer Reviews
It is always good to go through the reviews left by the existing customers to find out the customer's point of view (POV). Only approach the sellers if you find good reviews from the customers.
3. Ease of Usability
You should test the available plans and vendors to see which one suits your needs the best. Different vendors have diverse applications with their respective applications and ease of use. Select the one with an easy user interface and reliability. A customer's review can help you more.
4. Application Features
We discussed the user applications in the previous section, which should have a simple UI to facilitate even non-techy users. The application features generally decide the quality of the service provider since it resembles the services you are going to get after a subscription.
4.1 Some basic features of a virtual phone number are:
- HIPPA-compliant
- Click-to-call
- Caller ID
- Call Routing
- Call transfer
- Call transcription
- Number import
- Video conferencing
- Hold music
- Smart IVRs
- Call & Contact tags
- And more...
After considering these aspects of obtaining a virtual phone number, you now have a vision of which type and (from) where you will get the virtual phone number to create a WhatsApp Business account.
Now let us go through a standard process of obtaining a virtual phone number from a cloud telephony service provider. Most service providers have similar steps for self-service virtual number acquisition.
Steps to obtain a virtual phone number by yourself (after deciding the vendor and number plan):
- Create a user account on the service provider's website.
- Log in to the user's system and browse the plans.
- Select the decided plan (call, text, video, voicemail) as required.
- Choose the targeted country and state to localize your number.
- Customize the number to meet your business needs.
- Proceed further for payment (through cards).
- Provide required document details (card details).
- Click on 'OK'
After a few minutes, the number will become active, and you can easily use the number to make calls and text as per the plan you have selected in the beginning.
Or,
You can (simply) contact the sales department of the cloud telephony providers and provide them with the necessary details, so that they can hook you up with a virtual number of your choice within a few minutes.
It is the easiest way to obtain a virtual phone number of any county without any hassle. You do not get to customize your phone numbers as you like, only the drawback of the approach.
Important: You need to download the service provider's application to use the virtual phone number to make calls and text or video calls.
Once you have obtained the virtual phone number, it is now the time for you to create a WhatsApp Business account using the acquired number. These steps below will guide you through creating one (WhatsApp Business account) without using a physical SIM Card.
Steps to create a WhatsApp Business account without a physical SIM Card:
- Download WhatsApp Business App from the Play Store (Android) or an App Store (IOS). The app is free.
- Open the WhatsApp Business App.
- Agree to the terms and continue by clicking 'Agree & Continue.'
- Enter your mobile number (in this case, the virtual phone number).
- Click 'Next.'
- Verify your mobile number through a call.
- Keep your service provider's app open to receive the WhatsApp call that provides you with your OTP or the verification code.
- Enter the received code and proceed.
- Now you have verified your phone number; it is time to set up the business profile.
- Add a profile picture for your business from your gallery.
- Enter the name of your business.
- Select your business category from the drop-down menu.
- You can also enter your business description and address (optional) and click 'Next.
You have completed the steps to create a WhatsApp Business account without a physical SIM Card within a few easy steps.
What are the benefits of using a SIM-less phone number to create a WhatsApp Business account?
A SIM-less phone number has various benefits like cheap cost, easy usability, flexibility, and scalability to meet your communication needs.
Focusing on the benefits of using a virtual phone number to create a WhatsApp Business account, there aren't many, but the known ones boost your business's prosperity and customer engagement.
Let us briefly discuss the benefits.
1. A dedicated device not needed
A virtual phone number doesn't need a dedicated phone or a device to operate. This feature benefits the WhatsApp Business account as you do not require the dedicated phone to use the WhatsApp Business account.
2. Second Number & Second-line app:
A virtual phone number allows you to use a second number through a second-line app which helps you separate your business communication from your private ones.
Second Number also facilitates the creation of social accounts like WhatsApp.
3. Auto addressing of missed call:
The customer engagement becomes automated with the use of virtual phone numbers in the WhatsApp Business account. The inbound missed calls can be auto addressed using the feature of a virtual phone number with pre-scripted messages.
Conclusion: Is creating a WhatsApp Business account without a SIM card 💳 recommended?
Creating a WhatsApp Business account without a physical SIM Card must be done using a virtual phone number, an excellent alternative to expensive regular phone numbers.
Virtual phone numbers extend your communication flexibility to another level and safeguard your WhatsApp Business account from critical circumstances.
If you lose your phone, you cannot access your WhatsApp Business account via any other medium since you require a phone to open it through a WhatsApp Web. You eliminate this situation by not using your phone to control the accessibility of your WhatsApp Business Account.
All your digital devices have a synchronized communication database with a virtual phone number, allowing you to communicate via a diverse medium with up-to-date information.
This feature is useful for WhatsApp Business accounts since you can obtain verification codes, OTPs, and calls regardless of the devices used.
We recommend you create a WhatsApp Business account without a physical SIM Card i.e., using a virtual phone number.