Cura replies to inbound WhatsApp chats inside Meta’s 24-hour service window and does not send templates or broadcasts. If your issue is “the window closed” or “reply blocked after 24 hours”, that’s a different topic — see Messaging windows by channel.
”This number is already registered to an existing WhatsApp account”
What you see: During connect, the WhatsApp signup popup rejects your number with “already registered to an existing WhatsApp account” or “linked to WhatsApp Personal or another Business Account”. Why it happens (Meta side): A phone number can live on only one WhatsApp at a time. If the number is still active on the consumer WhatsApp app or the free WhatsApp Business app, Meta won’t let the API claim it until you either bring the app along (Coexistence) or free the number.1
Decide: keep the app, or move the number
If you still want the front-desk staff to use the WhatsApp Business app on that number, choose Coexistence — it keeps the app and connects Cura to the same number (see the Coexistence section below). If you don’t need the app, free the number instead.
2
To free the number: delete it from the app
On the phone, open WhatsApp (or WhatsApp Business) → Settings → Account → Delete my account. Back up chats first if you need them — deletion is permanent.
3
Wait, then reconnect in Cura
It can take up to ~3 minutes for Meta to release the number. Then run Add Channel → WhatsApp again in Cura.
The signup popup now accepts the number and moves on to selecting the WhatsApp Business Account.
”This number isn’t allowed to connect” — it’s tied to another provider or credit line
What you see: The number is already on another provider (BSP), and connecting to Cura fails — often with a message about the WhatsApp Business Account already having a payment method or credit line, or asking you to create a new WhatsApp Business Account. Why it happens (Meta side): When a WhatsApp Business Account (WABA) already has a provider’s credit line or payment method attached, Meta blocks connecting that same WABA to a second provider — this stops duplicate billing. Two Meta quirks make this stickier than it looks:- A payment method, once added to a WABA, can be revoked but never fully deleted.
- A shared credit line from the old provider keeps the WABA locked to them until it’s revoked.
1
Ask the old provider to unshare the credit line
The losing provider (or you, in their dashboard) must revoke / unshare the credit line from the WABA. Until that’s done, Meta keeps messaging tied to them.
2
Turn off two-step verification on the old WABA
In WhatsApp Manager → Phone numbers → the number’s settings (gear) → Two-step verification → Turn off. A migration can’t re-register the number while a PIN you don’t control is set. (More on the PIN in the next section.)
3
If Meta still blocks it: onboard under a NEW WABA
When a WABA is permanently tangled with an old payment method, the clean fix is to move the number onto a new WhatsApp Business Account during Cura’s signup popup — the popup lets you create one. The number keeps its display name and history; only the account wrapper changes.
The number connects to Cura and appears under Integrations → Channels.
Once your number is on Cura, billing is on Cura’s side — you don’t manage a separate WhatsApp credit line for inbound replies. If the old provider won’t release the credit line, email support@cura.so with the number and the old provider’s name.
Two-step verification PIN and the 7-day lockout
What you see: Migrating your number into Cura fails at the verification step, or you’re told to wait 7 days before you can try again. Why it happens (Meta side): Every WhatsApp number can have a two-step verification PIN (a 6-digit code). To move a number to a new provider, the number has to be re-registered — and that’s blocked if an old PIN is still set. Enter the wrong PIN too many times and Meta locks re-registration for 7 days as an anti-abuse measure. There’s no way to shorten the 7 days.1
Disable two-step verification on the old WABA first
Before migrating, turn the PIN off on the losing side: WhatsApp Manager → Phone numbers → settings (gear) → Two-step verification → Turn off. If the old provider owns the account, ask them to disable it. Disabling it does not interrupt your current messaging.
2
If you're already locked out, wait the 7 days
There’s no expedite. After the lockout clears, disable the PIN (step 1) and retry the connection in Cura.
”Too many attempts” — the 72-hour registration lockout (error 133016)
What you see: Connecting or re-registering fails with “too many attempts for this phone number in a short period” — often after several quick retries. Why it happens (Meta side): Meta allows a number 10 register/deregister attempts per rolling 72-hour window. Hit the 11th and Meta blocks registration for the number for 72 hours (error 133016). The window is rolling — it does not reset at midnight.1
Stop retrying
Every extra attempt extends the pain. Don’t keep clicking Reconnect.
2
Wait out the 72-hour window
Once the oldest attempts age past 72 hours, registration frees up on its own. Then reconnect once, cleanly.
3
If you just deleted the number, wait ~5 minutes
A recently deleted / deregistered number needs a few minutes to become available again (Meta error 133015) — try once, then wait 5 minutes before a second try, rather than hammering it into a 133016 lockout.
Business and display-name verification
What you see: WhatsApp asks you to verify your business, or your display name is declined, or a Start verification button is greyed out. Why it happens (Meta side): Meta reviews your display name (the name customers see) against its naming rules, and separately runs Business Verification on your company. For Cura’s use — receiving and replying to inbound chats inside the 24-hour window — you can usually start receiving messages before full verification finishes. Verification mainly matters for lifting Meta’s number caps and the official badge, not for answering customers.1
Fix a declined display name
Names are declined for using generic words only, a bare location, ALL CAPS, a URL, or restricted words like Official, Verified, WhatsApp, Facebook, or Messenger. Edit it in WhatsApp Manager → Phone numbers → the number → Name, and resubmit. Review takes ~1–3 business days.
2
If Start verification is greyed out, finish Business Info first
Meta won’t let verification start until every Business Info field is filled and you have Admin access to the Business portfolio. Complete the profile, then the button activates.
3
Match your documents exactly
Verification documents (and your business website, if asked) must exactly match the legal name and address in Business Info, be official and unexpired. Thai-language documents are supported.
Cura never sends marketing templates or broadcasts, so you don’t need template approval or higher messaging tiers just to answer customers. If Meta later takes a number offline for a mismatched business website after a migration, make the site live and matching, then re-check status.
Coexistence: keep the WhatsApp Business app open (or the connection drops)
What you see: WhatsApp connected fine, then days or weeks later inbound messages silently stop — no error, the Inbox just goes quiet. Why it happens (Meta side): If you connected using Coexistence (the number stays on the WhatsApp Business app and on Cura at the same time), Meta keeps that link alive only while the app is used. Two rules:- Don’t uninstall the WhatsApp Business app — uninstalling disconnects the number.
- Open the app at least once every ~13 days. Left untouched longer, Meta can drop the connection.
1
Reinstall / open the Business app
On the front-desk phone, make sure the WhatsApp Business app is installed and open it. That re-activates the Coexistence link.
2
Set a recurring reminder
Have staff open the app on a schedule (every week or two is plenty). This is the single most common cause of a healthy WhatsApp channel going quiet after a good setup.
3
If it's still silent, reconnect in Cura
Go to Integrations → Channels, open the WhatsApp channel, and use Reconnect. See A channel shows as disconnected.
Send a test message from another phone — it should land in the Cura Inbox.
Coexistence also has fixed Meta limits: only ~6 months of chat history syncs, companion/linked devices are unlinked at onboarding (messages sent from an unsupported linked device won’t reach Cura), and a Coexistence number can’t later do the official-badge flow or move to a different WABA. These are Meta’s terms, not Cura’s.
Quality rating and whether it can block your replies
What you see: WhatsApp Manager shows your number’s quality as yellow or red, or a Flagged status, and you’re worried your customer replies will stop. Why it happens (Meta side): Meta scores each number green / yellow / red from the last 7 days of customer signals — mostly blocks and spam reports. Here’s the part that matters for Cura:- Meta’s messaging limits (250 / 1K / 10K…) only cap business-initiated conversations. Cura only sends replies inside the 24-hour window (customer messaged first), so those limits essentially never bite you.
- So a yellow/red rating rarely stops you answering customers on its own. What can stop everything is enough complaints pushing the number into a Restricted or Banned state — then even replies halt.
1
Keep complaints low
Reply promptly, answer what people actually asked, and don’t message people who didn’t contact you. Since Cura is inbound-reply, you’re already on the healthy side of Meta’s signals.
2
If Flagged, you have ~7 days
A Flagged number has roughly a 7-day window to recover before Meta lowers its tier. For an inbound-only clinic the tier drop is mostly harmless, but treat Flagged as a nudge to reduce complaints.
3
If Restricted or Banned, appeal it
Go to Business Support Home → Request Review and appeal. Only Meta can lift a restriction; Cura can’t. See also I can’t connect a channel.
Connected, but no messages are coming in
What you see: WhatsApp shows as connected in Cura, but the Inbox never receives customer messages — even a test you send yourself. Why it happens: A WhatsApp number can deliver its inbound messages to only one place at a time. The usual causes:- The number is still live on another tool, BSP, or app, which is quietly receiving the messages instead of Cura (Meta side).
- On Coexistence, the message came from an unsupported linked/companion device, which doesn’t fire the webhook Cura listens on (Meta side).
- A fresh (non-Coexistence) number finished connecting but its Cloud API registration didn’t complete — it can receive on Meta’s side but Cura shows it needs a re-register (Cura surfaces this).
1
Remove the number from every other tool
Deactivate the number on any other chatbot, BSP, or the plain WhatsApp app so Cura is the only destination. This is the number-one cause — see This channel is already connected.
2
Send the test from a normal phone
Message the number from a different phone’s standard WhatsApp, not from a linked desktop/companion device. Coexistence only mirrors messages from supported surfaces.
3
Reconnect to refresh registration
In Integrations → Channels, open the WhatsApp channel and use Reconnect. If Cura flagged the number as needs re-register, reconnecting re-runs registration.
A test message from another phone now appears in the Cura Inbox.
If WhatsApp still receives nothing after the number is free of every other tool, email support@cura.so — the number’s message subscription may need to be re-registered on our side.