Gain assurance that your business’ communications adhere to regulatory requirements and benefit from useful insight into your team’s performance and analytics.
Customers can be reached anywhere
Let people connect with your company by meeting them where they currently are: WhatsApp.
Conversations are a great way to connect
Drive marketing, sales, and support outcomes through two-way dialogues that engage customers throughout their journey.
Make memorable experiences
Use the API to create engaging conversational flows that include interactive CTAs, dynamic product listings, rich media, and more.
"The team at Stitch have gone above and beyond during our project implementation and aftercare - would highly recommend engaging with them."
Expect higher digital customer service today then 12 months ago
Would choose a business using WhatsApp Business over a competitor whodoesn’t
Stopped doing business with a brand due to apoor digital experience
WhatsApp can be run in line with UK law, but only on the official WhatsApp Business Platform. UK GDPR requires a business to find, export and account for the customer data it holds, and PECR requires consent before WhatsApp marketing. Personal handsets and the free app make both difficult. The guides below cover each rule in detail.
| Requirement | Personal WhatsApp | Free WhatsApp Business app | WhatsApp Business Platform |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central record the business controls | No | No | Yes |
| Subject Access Request export | No | No | Yes, as a data export |
| Shared team access and assignment | No | One device at a time | Yes |
| Audit trail of who handled each chat | No | No | Yes |
| Recorded marketing opt-outs | No | No | Yes, with STOP opt-out |
| Covered by Meta's terms for team use | No | No | Yes |
| History kept when staff leave | No | No | Yes |
Subject Access Requests, audit trails, retention and where WhatsApp data is stored.
Broadcasts, the soft opt-in, the TPS and what the ICO can now fine.
Official versus unofficial tools, templates, the 24-hour window and Coexistence.
Personal WhatsApp at work, the free app and what leaves when people do.
It depends on which version you run. Personal WhatsApp and the free WhatsApp Business app keep conversations on individual handsets, so there is no central record to export for a Subject Access Request. The official WhatsApp Business Platform holds conversations centrally, which lets a business meet its UK GDPR obligations.
Usually, yes. WhatsApp marketing counts as electronic mail under PECR regulation 22, so individuals need to have specifically consented, or be existing customers covered by the soft opt-in. Screening numbers against the Telephone Preference Service does not make a broadcast lawful, because the TPS only covers live sales calls.
It creates real risk. Conversations on a personal phone sit outside the business, so you cannot answer a Subject Access Request, evidence what was said, or keep the history when that person leaves. A shared inbox on the official platform keeps every conversation with the business.
No. The free app runs on one device at a time, has no shared inbox, assignment history or export route, and Meta's terms do not cover team use. It suits a sole trader. Teams need the WhatsApp Business Platform, which Meta's Coexistence feature can connect to an existing number.
Since February 2026, breaches of PECR, which covers unlawful WhatsApp marketing, can draw fines of up to £17.5 million or 4% of global annual turnover, whichever is higher, the same ceiling as UK GDPR. The previous PECR cap was £500,000.
These guides explain the UK rules in general terms and are not legal advice. Last reviewed September 2026. The ICO is updating its guidance following the Data (Use and Access) Act, and we update these pages when it does. To see how a compliant setup works for your team, book a demo.
