What are the rules on how to sell on WhatsApp business accounts?

I looked into this when I sold my bakery. WhatsApp Business accounts are tied to a phone number, so you can't just hand over the account like a social media profile. The new owner would need to use their own number and you'd have to export chats or use the migration tool. Also check WhatsApp's commerce policy—some businesses aren't allowed.

Pretty sure you can't sell the account itse lf. It's against their terms. You can transfer the business but the WhatsApp account has to be deactivated or the new owner starts fresh.

Wait, people actually try to sell WhatsApp accounts? That seems like a headache. Just give the new owner the customer list and let them set up their own.

@GravelPit yeah I think you're right—the terms say you can't transfer your account to someone else without written Permission. But in practice, if you sell the whole business, sometimes the number goes with it. It's murky.

I sold my landscaping business last year. The buyer kept the same phone number and just changed the WhatsApp profile to their name. It worked but I had to remove my personal info first. No idea if it was technically allowed, but nobody complained

That's risky. If WhatsApp catches on, they can ban the number. And then the buyer loses all the chat history.

So basically it's a gray area? Typical.

Thanks for the input. I hadn't thought about the phone number issue. So if I sell the business, the buyer could just take over the number? But what about the WhatsApp Business API? We use that for automated messages.

API accounts are a different beast—those are tied to a Facebook Business Manager. You'd need to transfer ownership there, which is possible but requires both parties to cooperate. And you have to follow Meta's commerce policies. Honestly, talk to a lawyer.

Also, if you have customer opt-ins for for marketing, those don't transfer automatically. New owner needs their own consent. That's a big compliance thing.