If you get messages from guests with a Brazilian number (+55) and your replies don't arrive, the cause is a global Meta restriction, in force since September 15, 2025. It isn't a WeSpeak failure or a problem with your account in particular: it affects every business in the world that uses the WhatsApp Business API, whatever the provider.
The good news: it can be solved. In the vast majority of cases the block is lifted once the business's Meta account is fully verified and its profile is complete.
🕐 Unlocking doesn't happen overnight. Meta takes anywhere from a few days to 30 days to process these changes. The sooner you start, the sooner it's lifted.
What exactly this restriction is
Meta introduced a measure against international spam:
- Businesses whose WhatsApp number is registered outside Brazil can't send messages to users located in Brazil until their account reaches a certain level of trust with Meta.
- It applies even to replies to people who wrote to you first.
- The technical error is code 130497: "Business account is restricted from messaging users in this country".
It isn't a WeSpeak problem. The world's largest providers document it publicly: 360dialog lists it in its official documentation, HighLevel announced that there is no fix or workaround from the platform, and Twilio customers get the same block. No platform can "switch off" this restriction — what can be done is to bring your Meta account to the state Meta requires, and we'll help you with that.
How to unlock it
Meta lifts the restriction when your account reaches the 2,000-message sending tier. There are two paths, and it's best to work on both at the same time:
- Meta Business Verification — the main and most reliable path (step by step below).
- A track record of quality sends — 2,000 high-quality template messages delivered within 30 days.
Meta also takes into account that the business profile is 100% complete: a real physical address, website, the right category and a corporate email.
Step by step: Meta Business Verification
You do it only once and it works for everything (WhatsApp, ads, Instagram).
- Go to the Security Center. Open Meta Business (business.facebook.com) with the admin user → Business settings → Security Center → Start verification. If the button is disabled, check with your WeSpeak advisor.
- Enter the legal details: legal name (the registered company name — see the next section, it's where most verifications fail), legal address, phone, website and corporate email (ideally on your website's domain).
- Submit the documents, current and — for invoices and bank statements — from the last 90 days: tax registration certificate (in Argentina, ARCA/AFIP), articles of incorporation or partnership agreement, a utility bill in the business's name, a bank statement or a business license.
- Confirm your identity: with an email on the business's domain (recommended), by phone call/SMS or by verifying your website's domain.
- Wait for the review: between 2 and 10 business days. You can follow the status in the same Security Center. If it's rejected, you fix the reason and try again with no penalty.
- After verification, the sending tier goes up and Meta enables the restricted sends. That last step can take up to 30 days to propagate. WeSpeak monitors your sends to Brazil and confirms when the block has been lifted.
💡 Golden rule: use one consistent document that shows legal name + address, instead of several documents that differ from each other. Inconsistencies are the most common cause of rejection.
The most common rejection: "they won't verify my name"
Meta requires the name you enter to match exactly, letter by letter, the legal name on the document you submit.
| Cause | Example | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| The trade name was entered instead of the registered company name | "Hotel Costa Azul" was entered but the document says "Turismo Costa S.R.L." | Enter the exact registered name from the document |
| Small formatting differences | "S.R.L." vs "SRL", accents, "&" vs "and", abbreviations | Copy the name exactly as it appears on the document |
| The document doesn't show the official legal name | An invoice in the owner's personal name | Submit an official document in the legal entity's name |
| Expired document | A certificate more than 90 days old | Download an up-to-date certificate |
| Sole trader or individual | The business has no registered company name | Enter the exact first and last name, as they appear on the certificate |
The most frequent misunderstanding: wanting the brand to appear in the verification. They are two different fields:
- Legal name (verification): the registered company name, verified against the documents. The registered name always goes here.
- WhatsApp display name: the name your guests see in the chat. Your brand goes here.
🚨 Watch out for the display name: it has its own rules. Don't include the "&" symbol or other special characters (or company suffixes such as "S.R.L.") — Meta rejects the request automatically, even if they're part of your legal name. Use "and" instead of "&" and keep company suffixes for the legal name only.
All the alternatives, in order
| Order | Action | Who does it | Estimated time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Complete Business Verification | You, with our help | 2–10 business days |
| 2 | Complete the business profile on Meta (address, website, category, email) | You | Immediate |
| 3 | Support ticket straight to Meta with the technical evidence of error 130497 | WeSpeak | 1–4 weeks |
| 4 | A track record of quality sends with approved templates | You + WeSpeak | Rolling 30 days |
| 5 | Brazilian number (+55) + WeSpeak smart button | You + WeSpeak | Assessed case by case |
Alternative 5, in detail: messages from Brazil to Brazil aren't restricted. If you have strong traffic from Brazilian guests, you should add a dedicated +55 number; we give you a smart WhatsApp button for your website and campaigns that detects the visitor's country and routes them to the right number automatically. Both numbers live in the same WeSpeak inbox, with the same assistant — for the guest it's seamless.
⚠️ What NOT to do: retry the send in a loop or send bursts of messages to the same contact. It doesn't unlock anything and it damages your number's reputation — which is exactly what Meta looks at to lift the restriction.
Frequently asked questions
Why did it work before and not now?
The restriction came into force on September 15, 2025. Accounts that already had a high level of trust with Meta weren't affected; the rest were.
Does this only happen to WeSpeak customers?
No. It affects every business in the world that uses the WhatsApp API, with any provider. It's a Meta policy.
Can I reply to the Brazilian guest from my phone in the meantime?
The block applies to the API account. Another number that isn't linked (regular or Business app) isn't affected — but that conversation isn't recorded in WeSpeak, so use it only as an exception.
I'm already verified and it's still blocked. What do I do?
That's expected during the first weeks: the unlock propagates with a delay (up to 30 days). If it persists, we escalate the case directly with Meta.
Can I pay to speed up the process?
No. There is no paid way to skip this restriction. Be wary of any service that promises it.