# WhatsApp Green Tick: How to Get a Verified Badge for Your Business > WhatsApp no longer shows a green tick for businesses; Meta replaced it with a blue verified badge. There are two routes. API users can request Official Business Account status once their business is verified by Meta, two-step verification is on and the display name is approved. Some markets also offer Meta Verified, a paid subscription for businesses. Approval is never guaranteed. Source: https://chat.or.ke/blog/how-to-get-whatsapp-green-tick Published: 2026-10-20 | Updated: 2026-10-20 | Publisher: chat.or.ke Many Kenyan business owners still ask for "the WhatsApp green tick". It is a sensible thing to want: a badge tells customers they are talking to the real business and not a scammer using your logo, which matters when people are about to send money by M-Pesa. The badge has changed, though, and so have the rules. This guide explains what the verified badge is today, the routes to it, who realistically qualifies, and how to build the same trust while you wait. ## Key takeaways - The old green tick is gone. Meta now shows a blue checkmark for verified businesses on WhatsApp. - On the WhatsApp Business API, the badge comes from Official Business Account (OBA) status, which you request from WhatsApp Manager. - Meta lists the OBA basics as policy compliance, at least 30 days on the platform, Meta business verification, two-step verification and an approved display name. Review is discretionary. - Meta Verified is a separate paid subscription for businesses that is offered in some markets; check in your app whether it is available to you. - Numbers on the WhatsApp Business app cannot get OBA status; you need the API for that route. ## Before you start You will need the following for the Official Business Account route: - A number registered on the WhatsApp Business Platform (the API), not only on the WhatsApp Business app. - A Meta business portfolio that has passed business verification. - An approved display name that matches your brand and website. - Two-step verification (a PIN) enabled on the number. - At least 30 days of use on the platform, with a clean record under the WhatsApp Business Messaging Policy. - A complete business profile: logo, description, address, website and email. ## What happened to the WhatsApp green tick? Meta retired the green checkmark and moved verified businesses to a blue checkmark, the same colour used across Facebook and Instagram. If you see guides promising a "green tick", they are describing the old badge. The blue badge appears next to the business name in a chat and in the contact view. WhatsApp's help centre explains that some verified accounts are notable brands while others hold a subscription such as Meta Verified, so the badge can come from either route. ## Which route to a verified badge fits your business? There are two routes, and they suit different businesses. | | Official Business Account (OBA) | Meta Verified for business | |---|---|---| | Who it is for | Businesses on the WhatsApp Business API | Businesses using Meta's subscription, where offered | | Cost | No fee for the request itself | Paid monthly subscription | | Main requirements | Verified business, approved display name, two-step verification, 30 days on the platform | Meta's subscription eligibility rules for your market | | Available in Kenya | Request from WhatsApp Manager | Varies by market; check your app or Meta's site | | Guaranteed | No, Meta reviews each request | Subject to Meta's checks | Meta's rules for both change from time to time and vary by market, so treat this table as a guide and check Meta's pages for the current position. ## Step 1: Move to the WhatsApp Business API Official Business Account status is only available for numbers on the WhatsApp Business Platform. If you are on the free app, you will first need to move. Our guide on [how to get the WhatsApp Business API in Kenya](https://chat.or.ke/blog/how-to-get-whatsapp-business-api-kenya) walks through it. On chat.or.ke, setup includes creating your Meta business profile, submitting it for verification and registering your number with your business name and logo, so this step is largely handled for you. ## Step 2: Pass Meta business verification Your business portfolio must be verified before you can request the badge. Use your certificate of registration or incorporation, KRA PIN and a recent utility bill or bank statement, all matching the details on your website. Follow our [Meta business verification guide for Kenya](https://chat.or.ke/blog/how-to-verify-business-on-meta) to avoid the usual mismatches. ## Step 3: Get your display name approved and complete your profile Your display name must clearly relate to your business, ideally the brand name customers see on your shop front and website. Fill in every profile field: logo, description, physical address, website and business email. A complete, consistent profile does two jobs. It supports your request, and it gives customers confidence even before any badge appears. ## Step 4: Turn on two-step verification and build a clean record Enable two-step verification on the number with a PIN known to the account owner. Then use the number normally for at least 30 days. A clean record matters. Send [broadcasts](https://chat.or.ke/features/broadcasts) only to people who opted in, honour opt-outs, and keep your quality rating healthy. Our article on [why WhatsApp business numbers get banned](https://chat.or.ke/blog/why-whatsapp-business-numbers-get-banned) explains what to avoid. ## Step 5: Submit the Official Business Account request In WhatsApp Manager, select your phone number, open its profile and use the Official business account section to submit a request. Meta's [Official Business Account documentation](https://developers.facebook.com/documentation/business-messaging/whatsapp/official-business-accounts/) describes the same steps. If your provider manages the account with you, ask them to submit it. Some requests ask for links showing your brand's presence, such as press coverage. Meta has historically favoured businesses that are well known, so a small business can meet every technical requirement and still be declined. ## Step 6: If declined, wait 30 days and strengthen your case Meta says you can resubmit 30 days after a denial. Use the time to strengthen the signals that show you are an established brand: consistent branding across your website and social pages, coverage in Kenyan media, and a growing customer base on the number. A denial does not limit messaging. Your business profile, templates and inbox work exactly the same without the badge. ## How else can you show customers you are the real business? The badge helps, but most customer trust comes from consistency. Put your WhatsApp number on your website, shop signage, receipts and social pages, so customers can check it. Tell customers which M-Pesa Paybill or Till number you use and that you will never ask them to pay to a personal number. A Mombasa hotel, for example, can add a line to its booking confirmation template: "We only accept payment to our Paybill shown on our website." On chat.or.ke your team answers from one [shared WhatsApp inbox](https://chat.or.ke/features/whatsapp-inbox) with your registered business name and logo, so customers always see the same official profile, whichever agent replies. ## Frequently asked questions ### Can I still get a green tick on WhatsApp? No. Meta replaced the green checkmark with a blue verified badge. Businesses that qualify today receive the blue checkmark through Official Business Account status on the API or, in markets where it is offered, through a Meta Verified subscription. ### Can a WhatsApp Business app number get a verified badge? Not through Official Business Account status, which Meta does not grant to WhatsApp Business app numbers. In some markets Meta Verified for business may be offered to app users as a paid subscription, so check your app settings or Meta's website to see whether it is available in Kenya. ### How long does it take to get the WhatsApp blue tick? There is no fixed time. Your number must have been on the platform for at least 30 days before you request it, and Meta then reviews the request. If it is declined you must wait 30 days before trying again. ### Does a verified badge let me send more messages? No. The badge is about trust and identity. Your daily messaging limits depend on Meta business verification, your number's quality rating and how you use it, not on the badge itself. ### Is the WhatsApp verified badge free? Requesting Official Business Account status on the API has no separate fee. Meta Verified for business is a paid subscription where it is offered. Be wary of anyone selling a guaranteed badge, because only Meta can grant it.