How to set up WhatsApp Business API for your gym

A small WhatsApp Business app is fine for 100 members. Once you cross 500, you need the API — and that is a different beast entirely. Here is the playbook our 320+ Indian gym customers use.

1. Get a Verified Business profile

Submit GSTIN, certificate of incorporation, business address proof, and the phone number you intend to use. Meta verification takes 5–10 business days. The verified green tick massively boosts open rate.

2. Pick a Business Solution Provider (BSP)

You cannot connect to the API directly — you go through a BSP. AskFitness routes via Gupshup and 360dialog under the hood; you never see the BSP plumbing.

3. Get message templates approved

Every promotional or transactional template needs to be pre-approved by Meta. Approval takes 2–24 hours. The most common rejection reasons:

• Starting with an emoji (Meta wants the brand name first)
• Asking the customer to "click here" without a clear CTA
• Templates that look like advertising rather than service messages

4. Capture explicit opt-in

Under DPDP Act 2023, you need explicit consent to message someone on WhatsApp. We capture it on the membership form, on the booking flow, and store the timestamp + the exact phrasing the member agreed to.

5. Pace your sends

New numbers start at "tier 1" — 1,000 unique conversations per 24 hours. Successful, low-block-rate sending earns you tier 2 (10K), then tier 3 (100K), then unlimited. Send too aggressively early and you sit at tier 1 for weeks.

What to send

• Booking confirmations (transactional — high open, near-zero block)
• Payment reminders (transactional — 87% open, 4% click)
• Class slot opens (utility — sent only to members on the relevant waitlist)
• Festival campaigns (promotional — Diwali, Holi, New Year)

WhatsApp Business done well is the single highest-leverage channel for Indian gyms. Email open rates here are 8%. WhatsApp open rates are north of 80%.