HOW TO REGISTER A WECHAT ACCOUNT AS A FOREIGN COMPANY?

WeChat is one of the largest social media platforms in China with a huge user base. Due to which many potential and large businesses are moving forward on this platform to reach their potential customers. Not only China but WeChat is getting its attention from all over the world and it is very important for foreign companies to promote their products and services on WeChat. But non-Chinese users have always been concerned to open their account on the WeChat platform. In the past, it was very difficult for foreign companies to register their account on WeChat because of complicated and stressful barriers, but it’s not the case in the current scenario.

Let’s discuss the various ways of registering an account as a foreign company on WeChat without having a Chinese business license: –

Through a third party Chinese company or agency:

You can make a WeChat account by borrowing a business license from another Chinese company or agency. This is possible because every Chinese company has the advantage of registering up to 5 accounts on WeChat. You can decide on your name, logo, and description but the legal name of the company or agency will also be seen there. This means that your WeChat account will be fully owned by the third party Chinese company/agency and hence risks are also attached to it. It is very important to keep account ownership if another company terminates the account or closes its business. In such cases, the account will also be closed.

Through registering an account using Overseas business license :

With recent events on the platform, foreign companies are allowed to open an account with it and verify using foreign business license. You can go to apply.wechat.com and submit your application with all the necessary documents, but the big problem is that your account registered here will not be visible in China. It will only appear outside of China. This process sometimes seems to be unclear. It is not desirable due to its long and expensive process. Usually, it takes 2-3 months and you will be charged $ 1000-2000 for registration.

Getting Special WeChat Official account which is visible in China:

To address the situation and if you want to have a functional commercial WeChat account then you can go for Special WeChat official account. It can be acquired only by depositing all the required documents along with one-off initial investment in WeChat advertising WeChat can help you start advertising and reach a larger audience through the WeChat App. Annual verification fees are also required for foreign entities. It seems a small complex process but by doing so you will be visible in China and it helps a lot to gain the confidence of Chinese users.

Only service accounts are available for the overseas users

While applying for WeChat account, you will be required to outline the type of account you want to use i.e. the subscription account or service account. However, only service accounts are available for the Special WeChat Official Accounts for overseas users.

With a service account, you can gain access to advanced WeChat public platform facilities like
4 broadcasts on a monthly basis, custom menu, push notifications and API payment support for all verified accounts. Your business also gets 48 hours window to respond to user messages.

On the other hand, subscription account is better for those businesses who want to publish regularly. There is lack of features like push notifications, custom menus and any support for payments. The business should be verified and use the WeChat API as it doesn’t allow customization. Here also a business gets a 48 hours window to answer user messages.

Having a WeChat account can be an asset to any business that wants to target Chinese audiences, but its success depends on how well it is in setup. WeChat is a great platform to reach the targeted audience, especially for those overseas businesses who want to make their mark in the Chinese market.