Viber for Business: Business Messages and Chatbots Explained
Viber is one of the most used messaging apps in parts of Central and Eastern Europe, the Balkans, Greece and Ukraine. If your customers live there, Viber can reach people WhatsApp and SMS miss. Rakuten Viber offers businesses two ways in: Business Messages and chatbots.
In ShortUse Viber Business Messages for branded one-to-many messages such as promotions, reminders and receipts. Use a Viber chatbot for two-way conversations people start with you. Both now run on commercial terms through Viber or an official partner.
Business Messages vs Chatbots
| Business Messages | Chatbot | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Promotions, payment reminders, receipts and alerts | Customer service and conversations customers start |
| Formats | Text, images, carousels and call-to-action buttons | Rich conversational replies, keyboards and deep links |
| Who starts | The business, to customers who agreed to hear from it | The customer subscribes or messages the bot first |
- Viber describes Business Messages for campaigns, sales and transactional notices, with formats from simple text to carousels and call-to-action buttons (Viber for Business).
- Since 5 February 2024, Viber bots can only be created on commercial terms, either directly with Rakuten Viber or through a verified partner (Viber Developers Hub).
- Business Messages can be sent with a time-to-live, so a delivery attempt expires if the message is no longer useful; without one, delivery is retried for up to 14 days (Viber knowledge base).
Where Viber Makes Sense
Look at your own audience before adding any channel. Viber is worth testing when a meaningful share of your customers are in countries where Viber leads, when SMS is expensive or filtered, or when you want a branded, verified sender with rich content but your customers don't use WhatsApp.
Viber With WhatsApp and SMS
Most businesses don't pick one channel. A common pattern is to send on the channel each customer prefers and fall back to SMS when a message isn't delivered. In Arino One, Viber conversations land in the same inbox as WhatsApp, SMS and email, so your team answers in one place.
Consent Still Applies
Marketing messages on Viber follow the same consent rules as any other electronic marketing in the EU and UK. Collect clear opt-in, record it, and make stopping easy. See SMS and messaging marketing consent.
FAQ
What is the difference between Viber Business Messages and a Viber chatbot?
Business Messages are branded messages a business sends, such as promotions and reminders. A chatbot is a two-way account customers subscribe to or message first, used for service and conversations.
Can I still create a free Viber bot?
No. Viber says that since 5 February 2024 new bots can only be created on commercial terms, directly or through an official partner.
Which countries use Viber most?
Viber is widely used in parts of Central and Eastern Europe, the Balkans, Greece and Ukraine, among others. Check your own customer data before investing.
Do I need consent to send Viber marketing?
Yes. Electronic marketing in the EU and UK needs consent or a narrow existing-customer exception, and every message must offer an easy way to stop. This is general information, not legal advice.
Not Sure Which Fits?
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