Overview

Conversations is where you read and reply to your guest messages inside Amenitiz. To use WhatsApp there, you connect your WhatsApp Business number to Amenitiz through Meta, the company behind WhatsApp.

This is a one-time setup and takes around 10 to 15 minutes. The same number then works in Amenitiz and in the WhatsApp Business app on your phone at the same time, so the front desk can use the app while the back office replies from Amenitiz.

Before you start

A Facebook account with admin rights on your Meta Business Account. You can create one at business.facebook.com.
A phone number for WhatsApp Business: either a number that is not registered on WhatsApp, or the number you already use in the WhatsApp Business app.
If you already use the WhatsApp Business app, make sure it is up to date on the phone. An out-of-date app cannot share a number with Amenitiz.
Your business name, address and website, and the display name you want guests to see above your messages. Meta usually asks for these while it sets up your WhatsApp Business account.
A payment method for your Meta Business Account. Meta bills WhatsApp messaging directly, separately from your Amenitiz subscription.
A computer. Connecting a number needs a desktop browser, so this setup cannot be done from a phone.
A few days' lead time. Meta may need to verify your business account before you can message guests, and that check can take a couple of days or longer.
Conversations is in Beta and is being rolled out gradually, so it may not appear in your account yet.

📌 Note

Who pays for WhatsApp, and for what. You pay Meta directly. Amenitiz does not charge you for WhatsApp messages.

The cost comes from template messages: the pre-approved messages used to open a new conversation with a guest, or to re-open one after 24 hours without a reply. Meta charges a small fee for each template sent, and the amount depends on the country and the type of template. Messages you write within 24 hours of the guest's last message carry no per-message charge. For current rates, see Meta's WhatsApp Business pricing page.

Step by step

Go to Messaging → Conversations in the left menu.
Click Configure WhatsApp Business. If your list already has conversations in it, open Inbox settings with the icon at the top right instead.
On the WhatsApp Business card, click Connect. A window from Meta opens.
Sign in with your Facebook account, then allow Amenitiz to send and receive messages on behalf of your business.
Select your Meta Business Account, or create one in the same window. Fill in your business name, address and website if Meta asks for them, along with the display name guests will see.
Select the phone number to use with WhatsApp Business, then confirm it. What happens next depends on the number:
- A number that is not on WhatsApp yet: enter the verification code Meta sends to it.
- The number you already use in the WhatsApp Business app: Meta shows a QR code. Open the WhatsApp Business app on that phone, go to its linked devices screen and scan the code.
Add a payment method in your Meta Business Account settings, in its payment section. Meta needs one on file before your messages reach guests.
Back in Amenitiz, your number appears in Inbox settings under Your connected number. Your WhatsApp conversations start loading in, and the full history can take a while to appear.

⚠️ Important

Meta reviews your account before guest messaging is switched on, which usually takes a few days. While the review runs, Conversations shows an activation notice with View progress.
Your number keeps working in the WhatsApp Business app on your phone. Connecting it to Amenitiz does not sign you out of the app.
Amenitiz keeps the connection to Meta active on its own. If you see a disconnection notice, click Reconnect WhatsApp in Inbox settings.
Meta changes its own screens from time to time, so what you see there may not match this article word for word. The steps inside Amenitiz stay the same.

FAQs

Does connecting WhatsApp to Amenitiz sign me out of the WhatsApp Business app?

No. Your number works in both at the same time. The front desk can use the app on the phone while the back office replies from Amenitiz.

Who pays for WhatsApp messages?

You pay Meta directly. Amenitiz does not charge you for WhatsApp. The fee applies to template messages, which open a new conversation or re-open one after 24 hours without a reply from the guest.

Meta says my number is already registered with WhatsApp. What do I do?

That number is in use in the WhatsApp app or the WhatsApp Business app on a phone. Delete that account from the app and run the setup again, or choose a different number.

The Meta window closed before I finished. Did I break anything?

No. Nothing is saved until the final step in the Meta window. Open Conversations again and start the connection from Inbox settings.

Why can't I send messages yet?

Two things can hold messages back. Meta reviews your account first, which usually takes a few days — while the review runs, Conversations shows an activation notice with View progress. Messages also do not reach guests until a payment method is on file in your Meta Business Account.

Can I connect my number from my phone?

No. Connecting a number needs a desktop browser. Sign in to Amenitiz on a computer to finish setting up your number.

Does Conversations replace my OTA Inbox?

No. Your OTA Inbox stays available. Conversations also shows your Booking.com messages — see How to manage your Booking.com messages in Conversations. A reply sent from either one reaches the guest the same way.

Can several people use Conversations at the same time?

Yes. Everyone at your property with access to Conversations works from the same list, and new messages and replies appear for all of them.

Why do I need a template to start a conversation?

WhatsApp only allows a pre-approved template to open a conversation, or to re-open one after 24 hours without a reply. Amenitiz prepares the template for you: click Review template, check the text, then Send to guest. Once the guest replies, you can write freely for the next 24 hours. Amenitiz provides a set of ready-made templates; you cannot add your own or change their wording.

Can I still message a guest from their reservation?

Yes. The Message guest button on a reservation opens WhatsApp Web or the WhatsApp desktop app — see How to contact guests through WhatsApp.

Do I have to give Meta a payment method?

Yes. Meta bills WhatsApp messaging directly, separately from your Amenitiz subscription, and your messages do not reach guests until a payment method is on file. Add one in your Meta Business Account settings, in its payment section.

Meta shows a QR code but I can't scan it from the WhatsApp Business app

Update the WhatsApp Business app on the phone to the latest version, then start the connection again. An out-of-date app cannot share your number with Amenitiz. You scan the code from the app's linked devices screen.

Can I write my own message templates?

No. Amenitiz provides a set of ready-made templates and prepares them for you. You cannot add new templates or change the wording of the existing ones.

My older WhatsApp conversations are not all there yet

They load in after the connection is made, and the full history can take a while to appear. Leave Conversations open and check again shortly.

How to set up WhatsApp Business and connect it to Amenitiz