Email open rates hover around 20%. WhatsApp messages are opened within minutes by more than 90% of recipients. For teams trying to reach students who treat their inbox like a graveyard, that gap matters.

This article covers where WhatsApp fits alongside your other channels, how campaign messages and chat conversations work, how to set your WhatsApp Business account up for success, and what it costs.

WhatsApp works best alongside your existing email and SMS channels, for the moments where speed and visibility matter most. Good use cases include:

💡 Unexpected or overly promotional messages are more likely to be blocked or reported, which affects your account quality rating. Keep messages relevant and expected.

Broadcasts sent to a list of contacts, for example event invitations, deadline reminders or offer holder updates. Every campaign message uses a template that Meta, WhatsApp's parent company, has reviewed and approved in advance.

Once a student replies, or messages your chatbot first, that becomes a two way conversation. Replies are not currently charged, and can be routed to a managed inbox such as Gecko Chat so your team can pick them up as they come in.

Setting up WhatsApp Business is more than connecting a number. Meta monitors every new sender to make sure messages are wanted and engaging, so taking the right approach from day one helps your account grow and maximise its sending capacity.

💡 Templates take around a week to be accepted as part of Meta's review process. Gecko does not control this, so build the time into your communication timelines.

New numbers start with a limit on unique conversations over a rolling 24 hour period. As your account shows positive engagement and a good quality rating, Meta automatically reviews and increases this limit.

These limits are managed entirely by Meta and cannot be increased manually by Gecko. For more detail, see Meta's messaging limits article.

Begin with a smaller, engaged audience, such as recent event attendees or newly opted-in offer holders, to build a positive sending reputation.

Every message should help the student, feel timely, and be something they would expect to receive from you.

Meta tracks blocks, reports, low engagement and messaging without consent. A healthy rating means faster increases to your messaging limit.

For Clearing, Results Day or major campaigns, set your channel up several weeks in advance and build sending history before you need it.

💡 Following these practices helps your institution build a strong sender reputation and gives Meta confidence to increase your messaging capacity over time.

Approximately 8 to 9 pence per campaign message.

There is no character limit, unlike SMS. A monthly number rental charge applies, in the same way it does for SMS, and you top up as you do now. There is no separate charge for two way chat conversations at this time. Before you send a broadcast, Gecko shows you the estimated cost, so there are no surprises.

Will there be a monthly charge to hold a number, like SMS?

Yes, number charges still apply as they do for SMS. You will continue to top up as you do now, and Gecko shows an estimated cost before every broadcast.

Can replies be routed to a managed inbox?

Yes. Replies do not carry a charge and can be routed to a managed inbox, for example through Gecko Chat.

Are there restrictions like the Geo Permissions we use with SMS?

Campaigns will not send to US numbers, when sending from a UK number. Gecko handles this automatically, moving any US contacts to an excluded list.

Is there a character limit, and how do templates get approved?

There is no character limit. Every template goes through Meta's review process, which takes around a week. This is managed entirely by Meta rather than Gecko, so it is worth building the time into your communication timelines. Rejection reasons are visible in Gecko.

Can we run SMS and WhatsApp side by side?

Yes, each with its own number, used interchangeably as needed.

Can WhatsApp messages be automated like SMS?

Not yet, this is planned for the future. For now campaigns are sent as broadcasts rather than triggered automations.

Are we charged for messages that fail to deliver?

Yes. Once a message is submitted for a valid, consented number, the send is billed regardless of the delivery outcome, for example if the recipient does not have WhatsApp installed.