META recently announced that SMS opt-in is now considered valid for WhatsApp. Until now, they required a WhatsApp-specific opt-in, even though this was not a legal constraint but rather an internal META policy. The law itself has not changed; this is simply an update to their terms of use after determining that it had no legal impact.
Practically speaking, this means you can now send WhatsApp messages to contacts who have opted in via SMS. However, this does not change the rules surrounding the Quality Score implemented by META, which evaluates the quality of your interactions on WhatsApp (with ratings of High, Medium, or Low). If your messages are poorly received (resulting in blocks or reports), your Quality Score will drop, leading to a reduced daily sending limit or even account suspension.
In other words, just because META has enabled this possibility does not mean it should be used without a clear strategy. Contacts who opted in via SMS may not necessarily expect to receive messages on WhatsApp. It remains crucial to build a dedicated opt-in for this channel to maximize engagement and avoid damaging your reputation on the platform.
We have seen major companies like Club Med and Voyage Privé have their accounts suspended for pushing overly promotional content on WhatsApp without proper opt-in.
What Meta says
Since the update to the WhatsApp Business Policy (November 2024), businesses must obtain consent before sending messages on WhatsApp — this consent can be generic and not specific to WhatsApp, as long as it complies with local laws.
What we recommend at WAX
👉 We suggest using a WhatsApp-specific opt-in, or if necessary, targeting only your best SMS opt-in customers.
Why?
Unsubscribes must remain separate between SMS and WhatsApp.
Using an SMS opt-in can affect your WhatsApp quality score (higher risk of being reported).
Some customers may find it too intrusive.
Best practices
Send an SMS that redirects to WhatsApp (instead of messaging directly on WhatsApp).
Create a communication preference center to let users choose their preferred channel.
Offer multiple unsubscribe options within WhatsApp (STOP reply, button, AI, etc.).
That being said, an interesting opportunity arises: you can test a targeted approach by reaching out to your best customers who have an SMS opt-in and sending them a well-crafted initial WhatsApp message to gauge their reactions and measure the impact.
This would allow you to leverage this new flexibility while minimizing risks to your Quality Score.