A WhatsApp Business number, without a second SIM

Customers increasingly want to message a business rather than call it, and WhatsApp is where most of them already are. But WhatsApp Business needs a phone number of its own, and using your personal mobile number means customers end up in the same app as your family, at all hours.

A Digital Numbers line gives WhatsApp Business its own number. You do not need a second SIM card or a second phone: the number is a virtual one, and you verify it with WhatsApp through the Digital Numbers app.

How to get a WhatsApp Business number

1. Get a Digital Numbers line. Choose a UK number, either with a local area code or a non-geographic 033 number, and start your free trial. The line is active straight away.
2. Install the Digital Numbers app on your phone and sign in, so you can answer calls to your new number.
3. Install WhatsApp Business and enter your new Digital Numbers number when it asks for your phone number.
4. Choose to verify by voice call. WhatsApp sends its verification code by text first. When that code does not arrive, choose Call me instead.
5. Answer the call in the Digital Numbers app. WhatsApp's automated call reads out the six-digit code. Enter it in WhatsApp Business, and you are set up.

Your personal WhatsApp carries on as before on your personal number, in its own app.

Why use a separate number for WhatsApp Business

• Keep personal and business apart. Customers message the business, not you, and your personal WhatsApp, photos and status stay private.
• Look professional. Add a business profile, opening hours, automated greeting and away messages, quick replies and a product catalogue, all features of the WhatsApp Business app.
• One phone, two WhatsApps. WhatsApp and WhatsApp Business are separate apps, so both run side by side on the same handset with different numbers.
• The number does more than WhatsApp. Customers can also ring it. Take calls in the app, forward them to any phone, set working hours and pick up voicemail.

What it costs

A business line is £7.99 a month, or £79.99 a year if you pay annually. WhatsApp Business itself is free to download from WhatsApp. Every new line starts with a 7-day free trial, so you can set up WhatsApp Business and try it before you pay. You are not charged if you cancel during the trial, and there is no contract.

Can I use a landline number for WhatsApp Business?

Yes. WhatsApp Business does not need a mobile SIM: any number that can receive WhatsApp's verification call can be registered, including a landline number. That is why the voice call step matters. A Digital Numbers line takes WhatsApp's code as a phone call, and the Digital Numbers app answers it on your phone.

So you can have a WhatsApp landline: choose a local 01 or 02 number from Digital Numbers, register WhatsApp Business on it, and customers see the same local number whether they call or message you. Read more about getting a virtual landline, or about virtual phone numbers more generally.

Common questions

How do I get a WhatsApp Business number without a second SIM?

Get a virtual number from Digital Numbers, install our app, then register WhatsApp Business with that number. Choose to verify by voice call, answer the call in the Digital Numbers app, and enter the code it reads out.

Can I have a WhatsApp Business number that looks like a landline?

Yes. Choose a local 01 or 02 number from Digital Numbers and register WhatsApp Business on it. Customers see a local landline number on WhatsApp, and the same number rings in the Digital Numbers app when they call.

Can I use WhatsApp and WhatsApp Business on the same phone?

Yes. They are separate apps, so you can run two WhatsApp accounts on one phone: personal WhatsApp on your personal number and WhatsApp Business on your Digital Numbers number, side by side.

Why does WhatsApp verification need a voice call?

WhatsApp tries a text message first. A Digital Numbers line receives WhatsApp's code as a phone call instead, so choose Call me and answer the call in the Digital Numbers app.

Is a WhatsApp Business number free?

The WhatsApp Business app is free. The number you register it with is a separate service: a Digital Numbers line is £7.99 a month after a 7-day free trial.

Can customers call my WhatsApp Business number as well?

Yes. It is a normal UK phone number. Calls ring in the Digital Numbers app or are forwarded to any phone you choose, with voicemail outside your working hours.

Will customers see my personal number?

No. Customers only ever see your Digital Numbers business number, on WhatsApp and when you call them from the app.