WhatsApp has been exploring ways to bring additional functionality to its users, and the company has announced that it is rolling out verified accounts for businesses. Businesses verified on the platform will feature a green check badge next to the phone number, and you will be able to send messages like you would to a regular contact. There are a few differences, however — the chat bubbles will be in yellow, and you won't be able to delete any messages from the conversation window.
In an FAQ post, WhatsApp detailed how verified accounts will work:
Some business accounts have been verified by WhatsApp. If you see a green badge next to a contact's name, it means that WhatsApp has confirmed that the phone number of this contact belongs to a business account.
WhatsApp will also let you know when you start talking to a business via yellow messages inside a chat. There is no way to delete these messages from the chat.
If you already have a business's phone number saved in your address book, the name you will see is the name you have saved in your address book.
If you don't have a business's phone number saved in your address book, the name you will see is the name the business has chosen for themselves.
WhatsApp has hypothesized real-world scenarios for its business profiles last year —chatting with your bank over a fraudulent transaction, or getting updates from your airline for flight updates. The feature will also be a potential source of monetization for the company, which got rid of the annual subscription fee. Should you wish to not receive updates from a business, you will be able to block them.
WhatsApp says that the feature is currently in a "pilot program," with a small number of businesses participating.