Still sending SMS? Start talking to your customers on WhatsApp
An SMS tells a customer something. A WhatsApp message lets them answer, tap a button, send a photo or call you back, on the app they already have open, and your whole team can reply from one inbox.
Updated October 2026
SMS sends a message. WhatsApp starts a conversation.
Most business SMS is a notice: your order shipped, your appointment is tomorrow, here's your code. If the customer has a question, they have to find another way to reach you: call, email, or give up.
On WhatsApp the same message arrives in a chat with your business name and profile, and the customer can simply answer. “Can I change the delivery address?” “Can we move it to 4 pm?” That reply reaches your team, who answer in the same chat. The notice becomes a conversation, and the conversation is where questions get answered and sales get made.
SMS vs WhatsApp for business messages
Business SMS
- Can customers reply?
- Only if you send from a number set up for replies; alphanumeric sender IDs can't receive them
- Who it's from
- A number or short sender name
- What you can send
- Plain text, split into 160-character segments
- Delivery and read status
- Delivery reports, where the carrier provides them
- Who answers
- Whoever holds the phone, if anyone
- Calls
- Separate phone line
- Automation
- Keyword replies, if your provider offers them
WhatsApp Business API (with Mywa)
- Can customers reply?
- Always: every message is a chat, and replies reach your team inbox
- Who it's from
- Your business name and profile photo
- What you can send
- Text, images, video, documents and tap-to-reply buttons; customers can send back photos and their location
- Delivery and read status
- Sent, delivered and read for every message
- Who answers
- Up to 5 team members from one shared inbox, with assignment and notes
- Calls
- WhatsApp calls in the browser, answered by the team
- Automation
- Ad-lead replies, keyword and button triggers, follow-ups, handoff to a person
SMS features depend on your provider, country and sender type.
Your SMS messages, on WhatsApp
What each common SMS becomes on WhatsApp, and what Meta charges for it in the US, effective 1 October 2026.
| You send by SMS today | On WhatsApp it becomes | Meta category | Per message (US) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your order has shipped | Shipping update with a Track button, and a chat for questions | Utility | $0.0034 |
| Appointment reminder | Reminder with Confirm and Reschedule buttons | Utility | $0.0034 |
| One-time password | Authentication template from Meta's OTP category | Authentication | $0.0034 |
| Sale or offer blast | Campaign with an image and a Shop now button, to opted-in customers | Marketing | $0.025 |
| “Reply to this number” follow-up | A reply in the chat your customer already started | Service | Free for 1,000/month, then $0.0034 |
Rates follow your customer's country; every market is on the pricing pages. Mywa adds no fee per message.
The same customer, on SMS and on WhatsApp
On SMS
- “Your order has shipped” arrives from a sender name.
- The customer wants to change the address and replies; nobody receives it.
- They call support, wait on hold, or email and wait a day.
- The parcel goes to the old address.
On WhatsApp with Mywa
- The shipping update arrives in a chat with your store's name and a Track button.
- The customer replies “Can you send it to my office instead?”
- The chat lands in your shared inbox, assigned to whoever is on shift.
- Your team answers in minutes, in the same chat, and the reply is free inside the 24-hour window.
How to move your customer messages to WhatsApp
- 1
Connect your number
Sign up for Mywa and connect a number through Meta's Embedded Signup. A number already on the WhatsApp Business app can stay on the app too.
- 2
Recreate your SMS as templates
Turn each SMS into a template with buttons where they help, and submit it to Meta from Mywa. Approval usually takes minutes to a few hours.
- 3
Collect WhatsApp opt-in
Ask at checkout, booking or signup whether customers want updates on WhatsApp, and record it.
- 4
Send from your systems
Shopify events, webhooks or the REST API trigger the same moments your SMS did, now on WhatsApp.
- 5
Keep SMS as a fallback
For customers without WhatsApp, or who didn't opt in, keep your SMS flow running alongside.
When SMS still makes sense
WhatsApp is better for conversations, but SMS still has a place:
- 1
Customers who don't use WhatsApp, or didn't agree to WhatsApp messages.
- 2
Markets where most of your customers prefer another app.
- 3
Critical alerts where you want a second channel as backup.
- 4
Very short notices nobody needs to answer, if your SMS rate is lower than Meta's rate in that country.
Frequently asked questions
For anything a customer might want to answer, usually yes: they see your business name, can reply, tap buttons or send photos, and your team answers from one inbox. SMS still suits customers without WhatsApp and short notices nobody needs to reply to.
WhatsApp is priced by Meta per message, by category and the customer's country: in the US, $0.0034 for an update and $0.025 for a marketing message, effective 1 October 2026. Replies within 24 hours are free for the first 1,000 per number a month. SMS prices vary by provider and country, so compare with your own SMS rate.
Yes, always. Every message is part of a chat. With Mywa, replies go to a shared inbox where up to 5 team members can answer, assign and add notes.
Yes. Meta requires opt-in before you start conversations with templates. Ask at checkout, booking or signup, and honour opt-outs; Mywa handles opt-out replies for you.
Yes, with authentication templates. Meta charges the authentication rate of the user's country ($0.0034 in the US). See every country's OTP rate on the WhatsApp OTP pricing page.
Grow on WhatsApp,
without the chaos.
Bring your team into one inbox, launch your first campaign, and let the follow-ups run themselves.