The job this does
Onboarding and applications usually break at the same point: the documents. The customer says they will email the payslips tonight, the email goes to the wrong address, the bank statement arrives as a photo of a screen, and someone in the back office spends the next week chasing. Meanwhile the customer has gone quiet or applied somewhere else.
WhatsApp fixes the chasing part. The customer is already on it, the camera is one tap away, and every reply lands in one thread with their number attached. We set up a conversation that asks for each document in turn, keeps a checklist of what has arrived, and hands the full pack to your back office in the system it already uses.
Typical documents:
- Identity: green ID book, smart ID card (front and back), passport or asylum document
- Proof of address: municipal account, lease, bank letter
- Income: payslips, bank statements, an employer letter
- Purchase and service records: invoice or receipt photos, serial-number plates
- Qualifications and licences: certificates, driver's licence, trade papers
Euphony does not read, verify or classify documents. We do not do ID verification, OCR or checks that a file really is a payslip. A tick on the checklist means a file arrived at that step. The actual check is done by your team, or by your KYC or identity verification provider, which we connect to via its API.
How it works, step by step
- The customer starts the chat. From a "Chat on WhatsApp" link on your website, app, SMS, email or a QR code on paperwork. The link can pre-fill a first message with a reference, so the conversation knows which application or product it belongs to.
- Details go into a WhatsApp Flow. A form opens inside the chat for the typed parts: name, ID number, employer, income, the product they want. Answers come back as clean fields, not loose messages. See WhatsApp Flows.
- Documents are requested one at a time. "Please send the front of your ID." "Now the back." The customer replies with a photo or PDF. Each file is saved to the platform's file storage straight away and appears in your team inbox in that customer's conversation.
- The checklist updates. The conversation knows which step it is on, so it can tell the customer what is still outstanding and remind them later if they stop halfway.
- The pack goes to your system. When the list is complete, we send the details to your onboarding, KYC, credit or applicant tracking system via its API, with the documents or secure links to them (whichever your system accepts) and the WhatsApp number and reference attached.
- Your system decides, the chat reports back. Your system, or your KYC provider, checks the documents. When the status changes it calls a secure webhook on our side, and the customer gets the update in the same thread: approved, more information needed, or a person will call.
- People step in where needed. Anything unusual, such as a blurry ID or a question about the terms, is answered by your team in the shared inbox. When someone on your team replies, the automation pauses so the two don't talk over each other.
Four ways businesses use it
These are patterns seen in the market, not Euphony clients.
Remittance or fintech registration
Migrant workers often find app downloads and data costs a barrier. Registration happens once in the chat: a Flow for personal details, then photos of the ID or passport for KYC, sent on to your KYC provider via its API. After that the customer gets a service menu (today's rate, send money, my recipients, history) and each option calls your remittance system. Exceptions go to an agent in the inbox.
Vehicle finance application
The buyer fills in their details in a Flow at the dealership or at home, then sends their ID, latest payslips and three months of bank statements as photos or PDFs. Everything goes to the F&I or bank credit system in one pack. The approval status comes back into the same thread. The credit decision stays with the lender; the chat only carries the request and the answer.
Recruitment screening
A candidate taps the WhatsApp link in a job ad. A Flow collects their details and runs a short multiple-choice screening test, which is scored by the rules you give us. The candidate sends a CV, ID or certificates as attachments. Each step posts the candidate's status to your applicant tracking system, or to a Google Sheet if that is what you use.
Warranty registration
A QR code on the product or invoice opens WhatsApp. A Flow asks for the serial number and purchase date, the customer sends a photo of the invoice, and the registration is saved to your CRM or service system. Later, a reminder before the warranty runs out or a service falls due can go out as a utility template.
Variants by industry
| Industry | Documents usually collected | Where they go |
|---|---|---|
| Remittance and fintech | ID or passport, proof of address | KYC provider and core platform, via their APIs |
| Vehicle and asset finance | ID, payslips, bank statements, driver's licence | F&I or lender credit system |
| Lending and credit | ID, payslips, bank statements, proof of address | Loan origination or credit system |
| Recruitment and staffing | CV, ID, certificates, screening answers | Applicant tracking system or a Google Sheet |
| Retail and appliances | Invoice photo, serial number, purchase date | CRM or service system |
| Property rentals | ID, payslips, bank statements, current lease | Letting or tenant screening system |
Systems connected
| Part | What it does | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Inbound media | Photos and documents the customer sends are downloaded, stored and shown in your team inbox | Runs on our platform |
| Shared team inbox | Your team sees the conversation and files, replies, and adds notes; automation pauses when they reply | Runs on our platform |
| WhatsApp Flows | Forms in the chat for details, choices and screening questions | Custom build |
| Conversation program | The checklist, prompts, reminders and the calls to your system | Custom build |
| Your KYC, credit or ATS system | We connect WhatsApp to it via its API, and it sends status changes back to a secure webhook | Custom build |
| Authentication templates | A one-time password step, if your process needs one | Custom build |
The media IDs in Meta's incoming-message webhooks expire after 7 days, so the platform downloads each file as it arrives rather than relying on Meta to hold it.
Source: Media, Meta for Developers (opened 26 October 2026)
Message categories and what Meta charges
Meta charges per message, by category, at the rate for the recipient's country code. These are Meta's South African rates from 1 October 2026. Meta bills you directly and we add nothing to them.
| Message | Category | Meta's rate to a +27 number |
|---|---|---|
| Customer's messages, photos and PDFs to you | Inbound | Free |
| Your replies, prompts and the Flow, inside the 24-hour window | Service | First 1,000 a month per number free, then US$0.0095 |
| A status update or document reminder sent after the window has closed | Utility template | US$0.0095 |
| A one-time password, if needed | Authentication template | US$0.0095 |
The 24-hour customer service window opens each time the customer messages you, so most of a document collection conversation runs on service messages. A customer with a non-South African number is charged at that country's rate.
Sources: Pricing on the WhatsApp Business Platform, Customer service windows and Authentication templates, Meta for Developers (opened 26 October 2026). See our pricing page for a rand calculator.
What we need from you
- The document list for each product or role, with your rules: how many payslips, how recent the proof of address must be, what to do if something is missing.
- API documentation and test access for the system the pack goes to, and for your KYC or verification provider if you use one.
- The status changes the customer should hear about, and the wording for the utility templates that carry them.
- How long documents may be kept, and who on your team reviews them in the inbox.
- Your WhatsApp account connected through Meta's Embedded Signup, with Meta business verification done and a payment method on your Messaging account. We coach you through business verification; you complete it yourself.
Frequently asked questions
Is it safe to collect ID documents on WhatsApp?
It can be done carefully. Files are downloaded from Meta to the platform's file storage as they arrive, viewed by your team in the inbox, and sent to your own system via its API.
Under POPIA you decide what you collect, why, who sees it and how long you keep it, and we agree those rules with you before we build. Our platform has no separate secret vault, so the access keys for your system are set up per project and should only allow what this workflow needs. We don't claim security certifications we don't hold; ask us to walk you through the setup.
Can you verify a customer's ID automatically?
Not ourselves. We don't read, verify or check the type of a document. If you use a KYC or identity verification provider, we send it the documents and details via its API and show its result in the chat. Otherwise your team checks the documents in the inbox or in your own system.
What file types can customers send?
Photos from the phone camera and PDFs work best. Meta's Cloud API supports media files up to 100 MB, which covers phone photos and normal PDFs. Meta's list of supported media types includes PDF, Word, Excel, PowerPoint and plain-text documents, and JPEG and PNG images.
What does Meta charge for collecting documents on WhatsApp?
The customer's messages and files are free. Your replies inside the 24-hour window are service messages: 1,000 a month per number free, then US$0.0095 each to a South African number. A later status update is a utility template and a one-time password is an authentication template, both US$0.0095. Meta bills you directly.
Do we need a one-time password step?
Often not, because the customer is already messaging from their own WhatsApp number. If your process needs an OTP, for example to link the chat to an existing online account, we send it as a Meta authentication template.
Can a customer upload documents inside a WhatsApp Flow?
We use the Flow for typed details and choices, and ask for documents as normal photos or attachments in the chat, one at a time. Customers already know how to send a photo or PDF in WhatsApp, and each file lands in your inbox as its own message.
Related integrations
- Your own software, database or webhook: the usual route to a KYC, credit or onboarding system.
- Google Sheets: for smaller recruitment or registration teams that track applicants in a sheet.
- HubSpot, Salesforce and Zoho: where warranty registrations or applicant records live in a CRM.
- Claude: to pull details out of a customer's typed message or a transcribed voice note.
- n8n: if your back office already runs its workflows there.