What the green tick / Official Business Account actually is
The green tick (a green checkmark beside the business name inside a chat) marks a WhatsApp Official Business Account, or OBA. It tells customers Meta has confirmed the account belongs to an authentic, notable brand — not an impersonator. Before this badge, even verified-business numbers showed only a grey tick or no tick at all.
Two states are easy to confuse. A grey badge / business name display means the number is registered to a confirmed business on the WhatsApp Business Platform but is NOT an OBA. The green badge is the OBA — reserved for brands Meta judges notable enough. Most small senders run perfectly well on a grey-badge Business Account; the green tick is a trust and recognition upgrade, not a technical requirement to send messages.
Eligibility — who can realistically get it
There is no public points formula, but Meta consistently weighs the same signals: (1) your business has passed Meta Business Verification, (2) the brand is "notable" — meaning it has independent, third-party press coverage and an established public presence, and (3) the WhatsApp number, display name and brand match across your website, Facebook/Instagram and public records.
Notability is the gate most applicants fail. Meta looks for coverage in reputable news outlets, Wikipedia presence, or a clearly recognisable national/regional brand — NOT your own blog, press releases, paid listings or social-media follower count. A brand-new company with no third-party coverage will usually be declined for the green tick even if its Business Verification passes cleanly.
Meta Business Verification — step by step
Step 1 — Business Manager: Create or open your Meta Business Manager (business.facebook.com) and confirm you are an admin of the business portfolio that owns the WhatsApp Business Account.
Step 2 — Business details: In Business Settings → Business Info / Security Center, enter your exact legal business name, registered address, phone and website. These must match your registration documents character-for-character.
Step 3 — Start verification: Open Security Center (or the verification prompt in WhatsApp Manager) and click "Start Verification". Pick your country and business type.
Step 4 — Upload documents: Submit one document that proves legal existence (e.g. certificate of incorporation, GST certificate, business PAN, Shop & Establishment licence) and, if asked, one that confirms address or phone (utility bill, bank statement, phone bill) issued in the business name.
Step 5 — Confirm contact: Meta may send a verification code by phone call or SMS to the listed business number, or email to a domain-matched address. Complete it promptly.
Step 6 — Wait & track: Review typically takes a few business days but can run longer. Watch the Security Center status; do not resubmit while a review is pending — it resets the queue.
Step 7 — Request the OBA: Once Business Verification shows "Verified", submit the Official Business Account (green tick) request from WhatsApp Manager. This is a SEPARATE notability review.
Document checklist (India + global)
India: certificate of incorporation OR GST registration certificate OR business PAN; plus address/phone proof in the business name (utility bill, bank statement, Shop & Establishment certificate). The legal name on these is the name Meta will verify against.
Global: government-issued business registration / incorporation, tax registration, or an official business licence; an address-and-phone proof document; a business website on a matching domain. All documents must be current, legible, unedited and in the registered legal-entity name.
The most common rejection reasons
Name mismatch: the WhatsApp display name or Business Manager name does not match the legal name on your documents. This is the #1 cause of failure.
Insufficient notability: no independent third-party news coverage — only owned media, paid PR or social posts. Common for new or local-only brands.
Document issues: blurry scans, expired certificates, documents in a personal name instead of the entity, or a website that does not exist / does not mention the brand.
Inconsistent web presence: website, Facebook Page, Instagram and WhatsApp name/logo do not line up, so Meta cannot confirm a single coherent brand.
Policy / quality flags: the number sits in a low messaging-quality state, has open policy violations, or the business operates in a restricted category.