WhatsApp Usernames & BSUID: What Every MENA Business Owner Needs to Know
From June 2026 WhatsApp lets customers message you without a phone number, via a BSUID. Here is what it means for your business and how to prepare.
If your business still uses a phone number as the only way to identify your WhatsApp customers, this update will change that. Starting June 2026, customers can message your business without sharing their phone number. Here is everything you need to know, explained simply.
What is actually changing?
Starting June 2026, WhatsApp is rolling out usernames, so customers can message your business without sharing their phone number. Instead, you receive a new identifier called a BSUID (Business Scoped User ID). It sounds like a small technical detail, but if your chatbot, CRM, or automated follow-ups rely only on phone numbers, this change can break things in ways you will not immediately notice.
Why is WhatsApp doing this?
Privacy. Many customers — especially across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and other MENA markets — are cautious about sharing their personal number with every business. WhatsApp gives users the choice to:
- Find your business on WhatsApp without needing your phone number.
- Message you and get support without sharing their own number.
- Stay in full control of their personal data.
For businesses, usernames also mean better discoverability: customers can search for your brand directly on WhatsApp, just like they search on Instagram or Google.
What is a BSUID?
BSUID stands for Business Scoped User ID — a unique code WhatsApp automatically assigns to every customer who messages your business.
Think of it like this: a customer membership number that only works inside your own business, identifying who your customer is even when they have not shared their phone number.
- Every customer gets a different BSUID for every business they message — no other business can use it to track the same person.
- WhatsApp generates it automatically — you do not create or manage it.
- It appears in your incoming message data from the moment a conversation starts.
- It works even when the customer phone number is not available.
What does it look like? A two-letter country code, a dot, then a long unique string — e.g. SA.91827364501928374650. The prefix shows where the user is based (AE, EG, JO, MA).
The big shift: before vs. after June 2026
| Dimension | Before June 2026 | From June 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Customer identity | Phone number only | Phone number OR BSUID |
| New contacts via username | Always had phone number | May only have BSUID |
| Your CRM needs | One field (phone) | Two fields (phone + BSUID) |
| OTP / verification | Via phone number | Still requires phone number |
| Existing customers | Unaffected | Unaffected — no change |
| Discoverability | Phone number only | Searchable by username too |
What changes, and what stays the same?
What stays exactly the same: message templates, all message types, the 24-hour conversation window rules, billing, and existing customers — all unchanged.
What is new: new customers arriving via username may only have a BSUID, so your CRM and chatbot need to handle both identifiers. OTP and verification messages still require a phone number — BSUID alone cannot authenticate.
The 4 challenges to think about
- New customers without phone numbers: you can serve them fully, but if you need the number, ask for it politely inside the conversation.
- A CRM built around phone numbers: add BSUID as an additional field alongside the phone number rather than replacing it.
- Keeping one customer as one customer: if they message via username then share a number later, link the two identifiers or the same person appears twice and history is lost.
- OTP and verification flows: you always need a phone number; BSUID alone cannot be used for authentication messages.
What breaks if you do nothing?
- Conversations disappear and do not map correctly in your CRM.
- Duplicate records make your data unreliable.
- Automations break because workflows are built on phone numbers.
- Leads are lost and hard for sales to follow up.
- Disconnected chat history leaves support without context.
- OTP flows fail with no number on file.
These failures are silent: no error message, just fewer conversions and more confusion — starting June 2026.
How to prepare — 5 simple steps
- Check your platform supports BSUID: ask whether it can receive and store BSUIDs alongside phone numbers. Flovoo handles it natively, no configuration needed.
- Add BSUID as a field in your records: even in a simple spreadsheet, plan to store it alongside the phone number.
- Update your welcome message: if you need a number, add a polite prompt for new customers — a one-time setup that runs automatically afterwards.
- Link BSUID and phone when both exist: treat them as one customer; Flovoo does this automatically.
- Review your OTP flows: collect and store a phone number before sending any authentication message.
Quick summary
| Topic | What you need to know |
|---|---|
| WhatsApp usernames | Customers can message you without sharing their phone number |
| BSUID | A unique ID WhatsApp assigns each customer — specific to your business only |
| What changes | New customers may only have a BSUID, not a phone number |
| What stays the same | Templates, billing, message types, existing customers |
| OTP messages | Still require a phone number — BSUID alone is not enough |
| Biggest risk | Duplicate records and broken automations if you do not prepare |
| Biggest opportunity | Better discoverability — customers can find you by username |
Frequently asked
We're the team behind Flovoo — sharing practical playbooks on WhatsApp sales, conversational growth, and customer automation for MENA businesses.