WhatsApp usernames are here. What BSUIDs mean for your customer records
Customers can now message businesses without sharing a phone number. Business-scoped user IDs are the new primary identifier — here’s what to change.
WhatsApp is rolling out usernames, so people can chat without handing out their phone number. For businesses on the WhatsApp Business Platform, that means a customer can start a conversation and you might receive only an identifier — not a number.
The timeline
- From March 31, 2026, a business-scoped user ID (BSUID) started appearing in webhooks.
- From May 2026, businesses could test sending messages using a BSUID.
- From June 2026, usernames began rolling out in test countries, with wider adoption through the rest of 2026.
What changes in practice
- Every inbound message carries a user ID (the BSUID). It’s the identifier you can always rely on.
- The phone number may be missing when a customer contacts you by username and hasn’t shared it.
- Numbers you already have keep working, and customers can still choose to share theirs.
- One-time passwords and verification codes can’t be sent to a BSUID alone — you need the customer’s phone number for those.
Rule of thumb
Store the BSUID exactly as received — never trim or reformat it — and link it to the same contact as the phone number when you have both.
A checklist for your team
- Make sure your contact records can exist without a phone number.
- Merge BSUID and phone number into one customer profile when both are known.
- Ask for a phone number with consent when you genuinely need it (deliveries, OTPs).
- Review automations and reports that assume “contact = phone number”.
- Claim your business username once it’s available to you.
SourcesPlatform limits and prices change often. Check Meta’s current documentation before acting on them.
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