What Happens When a Customer's Phone Number Doesn't Show on WhatsApp? A BSUID Guide for Businesses
With WhatsApp usernames, a customer may reach you by BSUID with no phone number. What it means for your CRM, orders and OTP, plus a readiness checklist.
When a customer turns on a WhatsApp username, they may reach you with a business-specific identifier called a BSUID instead of their phone number, unless you have been in touch in the last 30 days or they are saved in your business contact book. Systems that use the phone number as the only identity are affected: order matching, the CRM and OTP codes. The fix is to store the BSUID alongside the number and ask for the number with the share contact info button when you need it.
01What is a BSUID?
BSUID stands for Business-Scoped User ID: a user identifier specific to your business. It is a fixed code WhatsApp assigns to each customer for each business, and you can message the customer with it even if you don't know their number.
- Format: A two-letter country code, then a dot, then a long string of numbers and letters.
- Scoped to your business portfolio: Any business number in the same portfolio can message the customer by this ID; a number in another portfolio cannot.
- Changes if the customer changes their phone number: You receive a system message alerting you to the change.
- A parent ID for enterprises: Eligible managed businesses can get a single ID that works across several portfolios.
Source: Meta developer documentation on Business-Scoped User IDs, September 2026.
02Timeline: where are we now?
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| February 2026 | Testing begins and BSUIDs appear in test webhooks for developers |
| Late March to early April 2026 | BSUIDs appear in all live message webhooks alongside the phone number |
| April 2026 | The contact book starts automatically saving the number-to-ID mapping from your interactions |
| 29 June 2026 | Businesses reserve usernames, and user adoption begins gradually, country by country |
| July 2026 | Sending to a BSUID via the API is supported, along with the request contact info button |
| Rest of 2026 and 2027 | Gradual expansion, so the share of customers reaching you without a number grows |
Sources: Meta developer documentation and the 360dialog blog on usernames (2026). Exact dates may vary by country and account.
03When does the number actually disappear?
Not for every customer. The number disappears only when the customer turns on a username, and even then, according to Meta, you still see the number in these cases:
- You messaged or called them in the last 30 days.
- You received a message or call from them in the last 30 days.
- The customer is saved in your business contact book, which is built automatically from your interactions.
So the biggest risk is with new customers, and with old customers who were away for a long time and come back with a username.
If you turn off the contact book, it stops saving data and the data stored in it is deleted, according to Meta's documentation. Don't turn it off without a clear reason.
04What is affected in your business?
| Process | The problem if you rely on the number alone | The fix |
|---|---|---|
| Customer matching in the CRM | A duplicate or unknown customer with no history | Store the BSUID as a separate field next to the number |
| Linking a chat to a store order | You can't find the order because the store records it by number | Ask for the order number, or the phone number via the share button |
| OTP codes | Copy-code and one-tap authentication templates need the phone number | Keep verification tied to the phone number |
| Marketing consent records | Consent is stored against the number only | Link consent to both identifiers |
| Click-to-WhatsApp ads | Chats go unrecorded if the system rejects a message with no number | Test from an account that uses a username |
| Integrations with spreadsheets and other systems | The number field is empty, so the integration breaks | Update the integration to accept an empty number and a fallback ID |
| Reports | The customer is counted twice | Unify identity before calculating the numbers |
Meta's documentation states that copy-code, one-tap and zero-tap authentication templates require the phone number, and that the Marketing Messages API supports both numbers and IDs.
05Measure your system's readiness
Answer the checklist honestly: how your system stores customers, how you match orders, and where you keep consent. The tool gives you a readiness score and the most important actions in order:
06Your action plan now
- Review every place that uses the phone number as a key: the CRM, the store, spreadsheets and shipping systems.
- Add a BSUID field to every contact, and make matching accept either one.
- Turn on the contact book in your account settings and leave it on.
- Update your replies: if you need the number for delivery or an invoice, ask for it clearly with the reason, or use the request contact info button.
- Keep OTP verification on the phone number, and don't build login on the ID.
- Train the team: a customer without a number is not a system error.
- Test from a personal account with a username turned on before the number of these customers grows.
Modeer 360 is a Meta Tech Provider and follows these updates. Ask the Modeer 360 team about the status of BSUID support on your account and how it appears in the customer record.
Key takeaways
- A customer who turns on a username may reach you with a BSUID and no phone number.
- The number stays visible if you have been in touch within 30 days or the customer is in your contact book.
- Store the BSUID next to the number and make matching accept both.
- Keep OTP codes on the phone number, and ask for the number with the share button when needed.
Frequently asked questions
Can I message a customer when I only have their ID?
Yes. According to Meta, sending to a BSUID has been supported via the API since July 2026, provided the business number is in the same business portfolio.
Will my existing customers' numbers disappear?
Usually not. If you have been in touch in the last 30 days or they are in your business contact book, the number stays visible.
Does the BSUID change?
It changes if the customer changes their phone number, and you receive a system message when that happens, so update the record in your system.
Are OTP codes affected?
Copy-code and one-tap authentication templates need the phone number, so keep login tied to the number.
Can Modeer 360 handle customers without a number?
Ask the Modeer 360 team about the status of BSUID support on your account, as the update is rolling out gradually.
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