Meta has introduced the WhatsApp Username feature that allows WhatsApp users to interact with businesses without displaying their phone numbers. With this change, phone numbers are no longer always available as the primary customer identity, as you can choose to hide them.
Important
The implementation of the BSUID feature will begin on June 1, 2026.
To adapt to this change, Business-Scoped User ID (BSUID) will be applied as the primary customer identity in the system.
Business-Scoped User ID (BSUID) is a unique ID given by WhatsApp to identify each user within a specific business context. This ID remains consistent even if users use a username or hide their phone number. By using BSUID, Qontak can ensure that customer conversation history remains stored, lead attribution remains accurate, and messaging features such as service messages and replies from WhatsApp ads continue to operate without interruption.
As part of this implementation, several pages in Qontak will undergo adjustments, including Inbox, Contact, Report, and WhatsApp Notification in CRM.
A. BSUID Implementation Simulation
To support changes in user identification systems, WhatsApp will introduce a new customer identity to replace phone numbers under certain conditions, along with the launch of the username feature.
Going forward, phone numbers will not always be shared with businesses. Instead, WhatsApp provides a Business-Scoped User ID (BSUID), a unique identity used by businesses through the WhatsApp Cloud API to identify users.
Below is an overview of the user identification mechanism by businesses on WhatsApp currently and after the changes are implemented.
Current condition (Today)
Businesses identify users using the phone number shared by users when interacting on WhatsApp.Condition after changes are implemented – user without username
If the user does not use a username, businesses can still identify the user through their phone number. In some implementations, the Business-Scoped User ID (BSUID) may also be available as an additional identity.Condition after changes are implemented – user uses username
If the user uses a username, the phone number is no longer always shared with businesses. In this case, the user will be identified using the Business-Scoped User ID (BSUID) as the primary identity.
Thus, the BSUID will become the unique user identifier on the business side, allowing the identification process, system integration, and user data storage to continue even if the phone number is not available.
Important
In some conditions, the user's phone number can still be shared with businesses, such as when the user has not used a username or when there is a previous interaction history between the user and the business. In cases of previous interaction, the user's phone number can still be accepted by the business for up to 30 days since the last interaction.
After the BSUID is released by Meta, the user's phone number can still be accepted by the business within a certain period. This applies up to 30 days since the user first sent a message to the business after BSUID was released.
Below is an overview of the flow:
Meta releases BSUID
User identification system changes begin to be implemented by Meta, followed by Qontak.Customer sends a message to the business
When the customer sends a message after BSUID is released, this interaction counts as the start of the 30-day period.Customer hides phone number
Even if the customer chooses to hide their phone number, the business can still receive the phone number during the 30-day period since the first interaction.After 30 days
If the customer continues to use a username and hides their phone number, the business will no longer receive the user's phone number.
B. Comparison of the System Before and After BSUID Implementation
| Aspect | Current Condition | After BSUID Implementation |
| User identification | Businesses recognize users through their phone number. | Users are identified using BSUID and can be linked to a username. |
| User search | Search is done using the phone number. | Search can be done using BSUID or username. |
| Access to phone number | Phone numbers are always visible to businesses. | Phone numbers are not always visible and can only be shared under certain conditions by users. |
After BSUID implementation, the primary user identity in API integration changes from phone number (wa_id) to BSUID (user_id). Phone numbers become additional information and are not always available.
C. Mekari Qontak Pages Affected by BSUID Implementation
The implementation of Business-Scoped User ID (BSUID) also brings changes to the display and user identification mechanism on several Mekari Qontak pages, especially on the Contact Card and Inbox.
Important
There are no changes to the Campaign page after BSUID implementation. This is because broadcast activities still require phone numbers as message destinations, so broadcast reports continue to display phone numbers.
Previously, user identification fully depended on the phone number, so phone numbers were always visible and used as the basis for user searches. After BSUID is implemented, the system will use BSUID as the main identifier on the backend, while the username can be displayed as the user's identity. Under certain conditions, phone numbers are not always available, so users can share their phone numbers through the Request Phone feature in conversations.
1. Inbox Page
Table 1. Comparison of Inbox display before and after BSUID implementation
| Before | After |
| Display on the Inbox page after BSUID is implemented (phone number not shown) |
Display of the user's phone number successfully shared after the user agrees to the phone number sharing request. | |
Display on the Inbox page [Customer Data Platform] after BSUID is implemented (phone number not shown) | |
Display of the user's phone number successfully shared after the user agrees to the phone number sharing request. |
To submit a request for the user's phone number, you can follow these steps:
Log in to your Qontak account, then select the “Inbox” menu.
Then click the “Assigned to me” tab.
Then click one of the chat rooms.
Then click the ‘add’ icon below. Then select “Phone number request”.
The system will display a phone number sharing request in the conversation column. Click “Send” to proceed.
Then, the phone number sharing request is successfully sent and will be displayed in the conversation column with the status Requested. Next, please wait for a response from your customer.
As additional information, here is the display of the request that will appear on your customer's WhatsApp page.
If the customer agrees to share the phone number, the phone number will be displayed on the Inbox page as shown below.
2. Contact Page
Table 2. Comparison of Contact Detail display before and after BSUID implementation
| Before | After |
3. Report Page
All reports on Chat, Package Usage, and Voice will also display the username and user's phone number.
4. Create Push Notification Page [CRM]
BSUID implementation can also affect the use of the WhatsApp Notification feature in CRM. This feature still requires a phone number as the message delivery destination.
If the user data does not have a phone number, the system cannot send WhatsApp notifications. In this condition, the system will display information or notes in the system indicating that the notification cannot be sent because the phone number is not available.
WhatsApp notifications in CRM can only be sent if the user data has an available phone number.
D. Data Flow Changes after BSUID Implementation
After the implementation of Business-Scoped User ID (BSUID), the system will use BSUID as the primary identifier to identify users. Previously, the system used phone numbers as the primary key in the user data search and matching process.
With this change, BSUID becomes the unique and permanent identity used by the system, while phone numbers act as additional information that can be used if available.
The comparison of these changes can be seen in the following table.
| Aspect | Before BSUID | After BSUID |
| Primary identifier | Phone number was used as the primary key in the database. | BSUID is used as the primary key and becomes the main identifier of the user. |
| Contact matching | User data matching was done based on the phone number. | The system can match data using BSUID or phone number if available. |
| Historical data | Historical data merging used the phone number. | Historical data will be adjusted through a mapping process between BSUID and phone number. |
E. API Changes after BSUID Implementation
The implementation of Business-Scoped User ID (BSUID) also brings changes to the WhatsApp API integration mechanism. Previously, message sending and user identification through the API fully used the phone number as the main identifier.
After BSUID is implemented, the system can use BSUID or username as the user's identifier. Phone numbers can still be used but are no longer the only identifier in the API integration process.
Important
API payload information will soon be available in the technical documentation.
1. Comparison of API Endpoints Before and After BSUID
| Aspect | Before BSUID | After BSUID |
| Endpoint | POST /api/v1/messages/
{ "phone_number": "6281234567890", // MANDATORY "message": "Hello World", "channel_id": "xxx-xxx-xxx" } | POST /api/v1/messages/
{ "bsuid": "BSUID_123456789", // RECOMMENDED "username": "user_wa_handle", "phone_number": "6281234567890", "message": "Hello World", "channel_id": "xxx-xxx-xxx" } |
2. Impact of API Changes and Required Actions
| Endpoint | Impact Level | Required Actions |
| Send Message API | Medium | Optional Update |
| Contact API | Medium | Optional Update |
| Webhook Payload | Low | Needs Review |
| Conversation API | Medium | Optional Update |
Parameter Priority Order
- bsuid – highest priority, recommended for new integrations.
- username – secondary option.
- phone_number – used in existing integrations.
3. Webhook Changes after BSUID Implementation
(New Field in Incoming Message Webhook)