As a property manager or host, communication with guests is key. While UpMarket provides a default WhatsApp number for messaging, using your own WhatsApp number can dramatically improve the guest experience. By integrating your personal or business WhatsApp line with UpMarket’s AI-driven platform, you add a layer of authenticity and branding to every message! This guide will walk you through the benefits of importing your WhatsApp number and the exact steps to connect it to UpMarket.
Why Use Your Own WhatsApp Number with UpMarket?
Importing your own WhatsApp number into UpMarket unlocks several advantages that ultimately enhance guest engagement and trust:
- Customization of Your WhatsApp Profile: You can brand your WhatsApp presence with your property’s identity, edit the profile name, add your website, and use your own personal logo or identifying text. Guests will see your business’s name and avatar instead of a generic number, reinforcing your brand with each and every conversation.
- Higher Guest Engagement: Properties using their own WhatsApp number see significantly more interaction from guests compared to those using the default UpMarket number. Guests are more likely to respond and converse when the messages come directly from a recognizable host profile, leading to more upselling opportunities, repeat bookings, and stronger brand loyalty.
- Greater Trust in Automated Messages: Even though UpMarket’s Virtual Concierge (your AI assistant) may be sending many routine messages, using your verified business number makes these automated messages feel more trustworthy and personal. Guests will be less hesitant thinking “Is this really the host?” when the WhatsApp profile clearly represents your property.
- Capture More Leads with a Virtual Concierge: With your own number connected, your UpMarket Virtual Concierge can even handle inquiries from potential guests. For example, if someone finds your WhatsApp number on your website or listing and messages to learn more about your property before booking, the Virtual Concierge can respond 24/7. This means you won’t miss out on engaging those pre-booking inquiries – your AI concierge can provide information and answers, helping convert curious prospects into confirmed guests.
In short, connecting your WhatsApp number integrates your brand into every guest conversation. It combines the personal touch of your own business line with UpMarket’s automation and AI capabilities. The best of both worlds for guest communication!
Step-by-Step: Connecting Your WhatsApp Number to UpMarket
Before you begin, make sure you have an UpMarket account (with admin access to your property’s dashboard) and a Facebook account for Business Manager. You’ll also need a phone number ready that isn’t already in use on any WhatsApp account (a fresh or business-dedicated number). Once these are in place, follow the steps below to import and activate your WhatsApp number in UpMarket:
1. Initiate WhatsApp Import in UpMarket: Log in to your UpMarket management dashboard. In the sidebar menu of the UpMarket admin area, click on “Import your WhatsApp number.” This option will start the process of linking your WhatsApp to UpMarket, and it’s usually found under the communications or integrations section of your dashboard.
2. Click “Connect Your WhatsApp Number”: After selecting the import option, you will see a prompt or button labeled “Connect your WhatsApp Number.” Click this button to proceed. UpMarket will now open a new browser tab to continue the WhatsApp integration process.
3. Follow the WhatsApp Business setup instructions: The new tab will guide you through WhatsApp’s official Business integration flow. You will be asked to log into a Facebook account and set up a WhatsApp Business profile for your number.
Important Reminder: use a Facebook account that you’re comfortable linking to your business, and provide a phone number not already associated with any WhatsApp account. Follow the on-screen steps to verify the phone number (you’ll get an SMS or call with a code) and create your WhatsApp Business profile. Keep your phone handy during this step for the verification code!
4. Complete the initial connection: Once you finish the setup on the WhatsApp side (all the steps in the new tab), you’ll see a confirmation that your WhatsApp number is now linked to UpMarket’s Virtual Concierge. Congratulations – at this point, UpMarket can send and receive WhatsApp messages using your number! However, you’re not done yet. There’s one final task to ensure everything runs smoothly: adding a payment method in Facebook’s system. WhatsApp Business API (which powers this integration) requires a billing setup so your number can send messages beyond the free tier. Next, we’ll add your payment information in Facebook Business Manager to finalize the integration process.
5. Log in to Facebook Business Manager: Open business.facebook.com in your browser (Facebook’s Business Manager portal) and sign in with the same Facebook account you used when setting up the WhatsApp number in the previous steps. This will take you to your Facebook Business Manager dashboard. (If you were already logged in, you might go directly to the Business Manager home. Make sure you’re using the correct account that owns the WhatsApp Business profile.)
6. Navigate to Business Settings: In Business Manager, click on the “Settings” option (usually a gear icon on the left-hand navigation menu). This will open your business settings where you can configure various aspects of your Facebook Business account.
7. Find “Billing & Payments”: In the Settings menu, scroll down or look through the options to locate “Billing & Payments.” Click on this section. This is where Facebook allows you to manage payment methods for the business services (including WhatsApp messaging fees).
8. Select your WhatsApp Business Account: Within the Billing & Payments area, click on “WhatsApp Business Accounts.” You should see the name of the WhatsApp account you just created during setup (often it’s your business name or the display name you entered for WhatsApp). Select your account from the list. This will bring up details specific to that WhatsApp Business Account.
9. Add a Payment Method: In your WhatsApp Business Account settings, look for an option to “Add Payment Method.” Click this button and follow the prompts to enter a credit card or other payment details. This card will be used by Meta (Facebook) to charge any WhatsApp messaging fees that accrue when your UpMarket Virtual Concierge chats with guests. Don’t worry, for most hospitality uses the costs are minimal, but a payment method is required to activate the messaging. Fill in your billing information and submit it.
10. Complete Business Info: Finally, while still in Facebook Business Manager, navigate to the “Business Info” section for your account (you might find this in the main Business Settings menu). Here, click “Edit” and ensure your company details are fully filled out (business name, address, and other requested information). Providing accurate business information helps verify your WhatsApp Business account. After updating these details, save your changes. This completes the setup process!
That’s it – you have successfully imported and connected your WhatsApp number to UpMarket!
Best Practices for a Flawless WhatsApp Integration
Avoid the most common Meta “gotchas” by following these four tips before you press ‘Connect your WhatsApp Number‘ in UpMarket.
- Use an established, real Facebook profile.
Meta’s verification bots dislike brand-new or purely corporate logins. Sign in with a personal profile that’s at least a few months old and already linked to your Business Manager. - Match the WhatsApp Display Name to your company name exactly.
Meta cross-checks the display name against your Business Manager data. An exact match speeds up approval and prevents “name mismatch” rejections. - Choose your true local time zone.
Setting the wrong zone can trigger message throttling or deliver check-in reminders in the middle of the night. Double-check the dropdown before saving. - Add a verified, default payment method in Meta Business Suite.
Enter the card details, complete any bank-code verification, and mark the card as Default. Unverified or non-default cards are the #1 reason message sending fails after setup.
Follow these best practices and you’ll breeze through Meta’s review, avoid frustrating error loops, and start delighting guests with your branded WhatsApp number from day one. Happy automating!
After Connecting: What to Expect
Once your number is integrated, all automated messages and guest communications through UpMarket’s platform will originate from your personal WhatsApp number (with your profile name and icon). Your UpMarket Virtual Concierge is now effectively chatting as you: answering common guest questions, sending booking confirmations, check-in instructions, and more, all through your own WhatsApp line. This has immediate benefits for your operations and guest relationships:
- Guests will recognize your business or property name on WhatsApp and feel confident they’re chatting with an official channel. This often leads to faster responses and more engagement.
- Because the communication feels more personal, guests are more receptive to automated updates (like welcome messages or check-out reminders) and any promotional upsells you send. In fact, hosts who switched to their own number noticed improved engagement metrics and even increases in ancillary revenue from upsells.
- Your team can still monitor and step into the conversations whenever needed. UpMarket’s platform will funnel all those WhatsApp chats into your dashboard (just as it did with the default number), so nothing changes in how you manage messages – except that now you have the added branding and trust of your own number.
- Don’t forget that you can advertise this WhatsApp contact on your website or in your booking communications. Since it’s your dedicated line, prospective guests can reach out with questions. UpMarket’s AI will handle many of those inquiries instantly, or forward to you if something needs personal attention. It’s like having a smart receptionist on duty 24/7, on a channel that guests love to use.
By taking the time to set up your WhatsApp number with UpMarket, you’re investing in a more personalized, trustworthy, and efficient guest communication channel. It’s a small technical setup that can yield big results in guest satisfaction and operational convenience. Now, armed with your branded WhatsApp line and UpMarket’s automation, you can deliver a stellar guest experience from the first inquiry message to the final check-out goodbye, all while saving time for you and your team. Happy hosting!
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