Message UK customers with confidence

First decide why you are contacting someone

A reply to a customer’s question, an update about an actual order and a promotional campaign serve different purposes. Choose the appropriate template category and audience. Adding an offer to an order update can make the message marketing.

Make permission practical to maintain

For UK electronic marketing to individuals, including sole traders and some partnerships, PECR generally requires consent or a valid exception. A narrow existing-customer “soft opt-in” may apply where all its conditions are met; it is not a blanket permission for purchased lists or every enquiry.

Corporate subscribers are treated differently under PECR, but a business name does not establish subscriber status. UK GDPR can still apply to a named business contact, and Meta’s messaging policy still applies to WhatsApp.

Read the ICO’s electronic marketing guidance and business-to-business guidance. Guidance can change; reviewed 19 October 2026.

1. Keep the original evidence.For example, retain the wording and submission record from your signup form, or a dated record of a permission conversation.
2. Record existing permission in Contacts.Use a meaningful source and reference. If several contacts share the same evidence and scope, record them together instead of opening every record individually.
3. Keep different audiences separate.Do not apply one source to contacts collected for different reasons. Only include people covered by the permission being recorded.
4. Review withdrawals before sending.A new import or a bulk permission update must not casually override someone’s request to stop. Reconfirm only where you have a genuine new permission record.

Meta does not issue a universal “consent verified” flag for imported contacts. The business needs to be able to explain and support its records. Read WhatsApp’s Business Messaging Policy.

Make the message recognisable

• Clearly identify your business and the reason for the message.
• Use a relevant approved template when required. An approval is not a promise of delivery.
• Give recipients a simple way to stop marketing, such as “Reply STOP to opt out”.
• Honour clear stop requests received through WhatsApp or another channel. Do not require a person to use one exact word to exercise their rights.
• Keep purely transactional updates separate from promotional messages and respect the scope of an objection.

Explain what happens to customer data

Make your privacy information available where you collect details. Explain why you use the data, relevant sharing, retention and how people can contact you about their rights. Keep only what you need and restrict access to your team.

Before uploading sensitive information, check that the proposed use and any required processor agreement, security measures and international-transfer safeguards are suitable. A UK-branded workspace is not a promise of UK-only hosting. Contact Alactic for the current processing details if your organisation needs them.

ICO guidance: privacy information, controller–processor contracts, and international transfers.

Increase volume with delivery feedback

Start with a small, relevant audience. Review failed and delivered messages, account quality, frequency and opt-outs. Meta can restrict marketing delivery to protect recipient engagement even when your template is approved.

Do not switch numbers, disguise a promotion as utility or repeatedly retry to bypass a restriction. Follow the delivery reason and appropriate retry guidance. Platform estimates and limits help you plan; they do not guarantee inbox placement or protect an account from every Meta enforcement action.

The 24-hour service window determines which message types you can send, not whether they are always free. Consult the dated GBP rate snapshot and service-pricing notes.