WhatsApp Business API for Hong Kong: PDPO consent, UEMO unsubscribe
Two ordinances meet in every WhatsApp promotion to Hong Kong: one asks for consent before you market, the other for an unsubscribe facility in the message itself. Build both into the template and the campaign is ready.
- Time zone
- Hong Kong Time, UTC+8 (IST + 2h30)[13]
- Meta market
- Hong Kong (own rate card)
- Direct marketing
- PDPO Part 6A, in force since 1 April 2013[6]
- Commercial messages
- UEMO (Cap. 593) covers WhatsApp, per the government[10]
- Official languages
- Chinese and English[1]
- WhatsApp use
- 81% in the past week (Reuters Institute, 2026)[4]
For Indian businesses with customers in Hong Kong, and Hong Kong firms looking at InfiQ: what the PDPO's direct-marketing rules and the UEMO ask of a WhatsApp promotion, how to run Chinese and English templates, and what a +852 message costs.
Market brief
Hong Kong in six lines
What the official statistics and the 2026 news-use survey say about the market a WhatsApp programme lands in.
- 01
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority describes Hong Kong's status as 'the world's premier international financial centre' as well recognised, and calls it a global offshore renminbi hub and the dominant gateway to China.[2]
- 02
The Census and Statistics Department tracks four key industries: financial services; tourism; trading and logistics; and professional services and other support services for commerce and industry.[3]
- 03
The HKMA also describes Hong Kong as Asia's premier fintech hub.[2]
- 04
In the Reuters Institute's 2026 survey, 81% of Hong Kong respondents had used WhatsApp in the past week, the highest of any network listed, ahead of YouTube at 80% and Facebook at 74%.[4]
- 05
The same survey put WeChat at 46% weekly use, and the report notes that TikTok does not operate in Hong Kong.[4]
- 06
The Faster Payment System, launched on 17 September 2018, runs around the clock in Hong Kong dollars and renminbi, and payees can be identified by mobile number or email address.[5]
Before you send
The pre-send checklist for a Hong Kong promotion
Each item comes from the PDPO's direct-marketing rules, the UEMO or WhatsApp's own policy. Tick them off for your process, not for one campaign at a time.
The Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance (Cap. 486), Part 6A, lets a business use personal data in direct marketing only after informing the person and receiving their consent. It is channel-neutral and does not name messaging apps.[7]
Regulator: Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data (PCPD)
Your sending checklist
7/7
ticked
- Required
- 7 / 7
Ready to send
Every item ticked.
Ready to send. 7 of 7 ticked.
Sources for each point: Give the prescribed information and a response channel first[7]; Count only real consent[7]; Offer the opt-out with the first marketing message[7]; Put an unsubscribe facility in every commercial message[9],[10],[11]; Do not treat a register check as consent[12]; Never pass the list on for gain without consent[7],[8]; Meet WhatsApp's own opt-in rule too[14]
This section summarises public guidance from the sources cited. It is not legal advice; check with your counsel before you send.
Locate it
Hong Kong on the map, and on the clock
Hong Kong Time is UTC+8 all year, two and a half hours ahead of India.
For a team working Indian hours, a 10:00 Hong Kong send goes out at 07:30 IST, and an 18:00 reminder there is 15:30 here. Queue promotions the evening before and keep the Indian afternoon for replies.
Drag the globe to see the region around Hong Kong. A Hong Kong office often answers neighbouring markets too; each of them is priced at its own rate, by the country code of the number you send to.
Drag or swipe to rotate. Use the arrow keys to rotate, plus and minus to zoom, and 0 to reset.
Who messages what
Four key industries, and what each sends
The Census and Statistics Department's four key industries, plus the fintech sector the HKMA highlights.
| Sector | What it sends on WhatsApp |
|---|---|
| Financial servicesOne of the four key industries; the HKMA describes Hong Kong as a premier international financial centre and an offshore renminbi hub.[3],[2] |
|
| Trading and logisticsOne of the four key industries.[3] |
|
| TourismOne of the four key industries.[3] |
|
| Professional and business support servicesProfessional services and other support services for commerce and industry make up the fourth key industry.[3] |
|
| FintechThe HKMA calls Hong Kong Asia's premier fintech hub.[2] |
|
Traditional Chinese, English, or both
Meta approves each language version of a template separately, so a bilingual programme means two versions of every template.
Consumer messaging in Hong Kong is usually in Traditional Chinese with a Cantonese register, or in English, and often both. That is editorial judgement, not a measured figure; let each contact's own choice decide which version they receive.
Meta lists Hong Kong Chinese (zh_HK) and Mainland Chinese (zh_CN) as separate template languages, so write each for its readers rather than converting one into the other. Replies inside the 24-hour window can be in any language your agents write.
| Language | Meta code | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| Chinese (HKG) | zh_HK | Traditional Chinese, for Cantonese-speaking customers |
| English | en | An official language alongside Chinese |
| Chinese (CHN) | zh_CN | For customers who read Simplified Chinese |
Prices in ₹ and HKD
What a +852 message costs
Lite is ₹999 a month and Growth ₹2,999. Messages to Hong Kong numbers are charged at Hong Kong's rate: ₹6.44 for marketing, ₹2.29 for utility, ₹2.29 for authentication and ₹2.29 per service reply.
Snapshot rates · as of 20 Oct 2026, 00:02 UTC
Lite
₹999 / month≈ $82.60 HKD
₹833 / month, billed yearly≈ $68.87 HKD
Growth
₹2,999 / month≈ $247.96 HKD
₹2,499 / month, billed yearly≈ $206.62 HKD
Enterprise
Custom volume pricing, custom SLA and dedicated infrastructure.
Per message to Hong Kong SAR · Hong Kong
| Category | ₹ INR | HKD |
|---|---|---|
| Marketing | ₹6.4397 | $0.532 |
| Utility | ₹2.2867 | $0.189 |
| Authentication | ₹2.2867 | $0.189 |
| Service | ₹2.2867 | $0.189 |
Per-message rates for all 47 markets, in ₹ and HKD
| Market | Marketing | Utility | Authentication | Service |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Argentina | $0.449₹5.4352 | $0.189₹2.2874 | $0.189₹2.2874 | $0.189₹2.2874 |
| Bangladesh | $0.532₹6.4397 | $0.0269₹0.3254 | $0.0269₹0.3254 | $0.0269₹0.3254 |
| Brazil | $0.454₹5.4970 | $0.0495₹0.5981 | $0.0495₹0.5981 | $0.0495₹0.5981 |
| Chile | $0.646₹7.8162 | $0.145₹1.7585 | $0.145₹1.7585 | $0.145₹1.7585 |
| Colombia | $0.0909₹1.0993 | $0.0058₹0.0706 | $0.0058₹0.0706 | $0.0058₹0.0706 |
| Egypt | $0.468₹5.6629 | $0.0262₹0.3167 | $0.0262₹0.3167 | $0.0262₹0.3167 |
| France | $0.625₹7.5588 | $0.218₹2.6393 | $0.218₹2.6393 | $0.218₹2.6393 |
| Germany | $0.993₹12.0088 | $0.400₹4.8386 | $0.400₹4.8386 | $0.400₹4.8386 |
| Hong Kong | $0.532₹6.4397 | $0.189₹2.2867 | $0.189₹2.2867 | $0.189₹2.2867 |
| Hungary | $0.625₹7.5596 | $0.254₹3.0700 | $0.254₹3.0700 | $0.254₹3.0700 |
| India | $0.0780₹0.9435 | $0.0160₹0.1941 | $0.0116₹0.1402 | $0.0120₹0.1450 |
| Indonesia | $0.299₹3.6133 | $0.182₹2.1979 | $0.182₹2.1979 | $0.182₹2.1979 |
| Iraq | $0.248₹2.9992 | $0.0574₹0.6943 | $0.0574₹0.6943 | $0.0574₹0.6943 |
| Israel | $0.257₹3.1045 | $0.0385₹0.4662 | $0.0385₹0.4662 | $0.0385₹0.4662 |
| Italy | $0.578₹6.9847 | $0.218₹2.6369 | $0.218₹2.6369 | $0.218₹2.6369 |
| Kazakhstan | $0.439₹5.3098 | $0.131₹1.5824 | $0.131₹1.5824 | $0.131₹1.5824 |
| Kuwait | $0.576₹6.9671 | $0.320₹3.8671 | $0.320₹3.8671 | $0.320₹3.8671 |
| Malaysia | $0.625₹7.5644 | $0.102₹1.2314 | $0.102₹1.2314 | $0.102₹1.2314 |
| Mexico | $0.288₹3.4877 | $0.0618₹0.7471 | $0.0618₹0.7471 | $0.0618₹0.7471 |
| Morocco | $0.301₹3.6425 | $0.167₹2.0218 | $0.167₹2.0218 | $0.167₹2.0218 |
| Netherlands | $1.16₹14.0494 | $0.364₹4.3987 | $0.364₹4.3987 | $0.364₹4.3987 |
| Nepal | $0.532₹6.4397 | $0.0247₹0.2990 | $0.0247₹0.2990 | $0.0247₹0.2990 |
| Nigeria | $0.376₹4.5421 | $0.0488₹0.5898 | $0.0488₹0.5898 | $0.0488₹0.5898 |
| Oman | $0.248₹2.9992 | $0.179₹2.1709 | $0.179₹2.1709 | $0.179₹2.1709 |
| Pakistan | $0.344₹4.1620 | $0.109₹1.3200 | $0.109₹1.3200 | $0.109₹1.3200 |
| Peru | $0.511₹6.1843 | $0.218₹2.6392 | $0.218₹2.6392 | $0.218₹2.6392 |
| Poland | $0.265₹3.2105 | $0.0885₹1.0702 | $0.0885₹1.0702 | $0.0885₹1.0702 |
| Qatar | $0.248₹2.9992 | $0.0872₹1.0547 | $0.0872₹1.0547 | $0.0872₹1.0547 |
| Romania | $0.625₹7.5596 | $0.210₹2.5436 | $0.210₹2.5436 | $0.210₹2.5436 |
| Russia | $0.583₹7.0520 | $0.291₹3.5173 | $0.291₹3.5173 | $0.291₹3.5173 |
| Saudi Arabia | $0.418₹5.0537 | $0.0777₹0.9401 | $0.0777₹0.9401 | $0.0777₹0.9401 |
| Singapore | $0.532₹6.4397 | $0.116₹1.4072 | $0.116₹1.4072 | $0.116₹1.4072 |
| South Africa | $0.276₹3.3385 | $0.0692₹0.8369 | $0.0692₹0.8369 | $0.0692₹0.8369 |
| Spain | $0.514₹6.2161 | $0.145₹1.7578 | $0.145₹1.7578 | $0.145₹1.7578 |
| Sri Lanka | $0.532₹6.4397 | $0.0145₹0.1759 | $0.0145₹0.1759 | $0.0145₹0.1759 |
| Turkey | $0.0793₹0.9587 | $0.0065₹0.0792 | $0.0065₹0.0792 | $0.0065₹0.0792 |
| Ukraine | $0.625₹7.5596 | $0.216₹2.6138 | $0.216₹2.6138 | $0.216₹2.6138 |
| United Arab Emirates | $0.418₹5.0537 | $0.114₹1.3811 | $0.114₹1.3811 | $0.114₹1.3811 |
| United Kingdom | $0.461₹5.5795 | $0.160₹1.9346 | $0.160₹1.9346 | $0.160₹1.9346 |
| North America | $0.182₹2.1976 | $0.0247₹0.2989 | $0.0247₹0.2989 | $0.0247₹0.2989 |
| Rest of Africa | $0.164₹1.9796 | $0.0291₹0.3516 | $0.0291₹0.3516 | $0.0291₹0.3516 |
| Rest of Asia Pacific | $0.612₹7.4057 | $0.0822₹0.9938 | $0.0822₹0.9938 | $0.0822₹0.9938 |
| Rest of Central & Eastern Europe | $0.625₹7.5596 | $0.154₹1.8595 | $0.154₹1.8595 | $0.154₹1.8595 |
| Rest of Latin America | $0.538₹6.5048 | $0.0821₹0.9934 | $0.0821₹0.9934 | $0.0821₹0.9934 |
| Rest of Middle East | $0.285₹3.4490 | $0.0661₹0.7998 | $0.0661₹0.7998 | $0.0661₹0.7998 |
| Rest of Western Europe | $0.430₹5.2054 | $0.124₹1.5019 | $0.124₹1.5019 | $0.124₹1.5019 |
| Other | $0.439₹5.3098 | $0.0560₹0.6769 | $0.0560₹0.6769 | $0.0560₹0.6769 |
Plan prices are monthly, in rupees, excluding GST; yearly billing is two months free. Messages are charged per delivered message on top of the plan, at the rate for the recipient’s country. Full details: InfiQ pricing. The HKD column is an indicative conversion; InfiQ invoices in rupees, and Indian businesses pay GST on top. Adding an unsubscribe line to a marketing template does not change its price.
Rates for every Meta market, plus plans and add-ons, are on one page.
See all plans and ratesOn InfiQ
How InfiQ carries the checklist
The items a platform can carry for you, and the ones that stay with your team.
- Consent records and opt-out enforcement
Section 35G and the UEMO both turn on stopping when asked. Opt-out is enforced at platform level, and each opt-in's source and time is on record for Part 6A.
- Template manager and library
Submit Chinese (HKG) and English versions of each template, with the unsubscribe line written into the body or a button.
- Shared team inbox
Agent and manager roles, transfers and private notes keep a client conversation with the right person.
- Account security controls
Role-based access, two-factor sign-in and hash-chained audit logs, for compliance teams who ask how chats are protected.
- WhatsApp Coexistence
Keep the WhatsApp Business app on a number customers already know while the API runs alongside it, within Meta's limits.
- Customer data hosted in India
Customer data is processed in India; include that in the information you give customers before they opt in.
Two ways in
Two ways to start
InfiQ serves India-based businesses. A company based in Hong Kong starts with a conversation with sales.
Your business is in India
- 1.
Start a 7-day Lite trial
A 7-day Lite trial, no card needed: connect a number and draft your first bilingual templates.
- 2.
Write the notice before the opt-in
Put the Part 6A information and a response channel wherever Hong Kong customers opt in: a web form, a QR code at the counter or the first chat.
- 3.
Go live after verification
About two hours once Meta business verification is complete.
- 4.
Send with the unsubscribe built in
Every marketing template carries the opt-out, and InfiQ enforces it across later broadcasts.
Your business is in Hong Kong
- 1.
Talk to sales
InfiQ serves India-based businesses; availability for a company based in Hong Kong goes through sales.
- 2.
Check the fit
Billing is in Indian rupees, customer data is processed in India, and support works in English and Hindi on India time.
- 3.
Decide on WeChat separately
InfiQ runs WhatsApp only. If part of your audience prefers WeChat, that channel needs its own tool.
Questions businesses ask about WhatsApp in Hong Kong
- Does the UEMO cover our WhatsApp promotions to Hong Kong customers?
- Yes, according to the government. In replies to the Legislative Council in 2012 and 2016 it described the ordinance as technology-neutral and applying to commercial messages sent through apps such as WhatsApp. Each promotion therefore needs an unsubscribe facility, and OFCA handles reports with advisory or warning letters and enforcement notices.
- Must we screen Hong Kong numbers against the do-not-call registers before a WhatsApp campaign?
- No official source we found says the registers extend to WhatsApp. OFCA's do-not-call registers cover fax, SMS and pre-recorded telephone messages. What clearly applies to a WhatsApp promotion is PDPO Part 6A consent and the UEMO's unsubscribe facility, so build your process on those and watch for any change in OFCA's position.
- What makes a WhatsApp opt-in valid consent under PDPO Part 6A?
- Notice first, then a real yes. Before using the data for direct marketing, give the prescribed information and a response channel, then receive consent, which can be an indication of no objection but never silence. Oral consent must be confirmed in writing within 14 days. Keep the wording the customer saw with the record.
- Should Hong Kong templates be in Traditional Chinese, English or both?
- Both, where your contacts are mixed. Meta approves a Chinese (HKG) version and an English version of a template separately, and you send each contact the version they chose. Put the unsubscribe line in both versions, since the UEMO applies whichever language the message is in.
- Can we collect payment by FPS through a WhatsApp chat?
- You can send FPS details, but the payment happens outside the chat. InfiQ does not offer in-chat payments; a template or reply can carry your FPS identifier, a QR image or a payment link from your provider. FPS runs around the clock in Hong Kong dollars and renminbi, and payees can be identified by mobile number or email.
- Some of our Hong Kong customers prefer WeChat. Can InfiQ reach them there?
- No. InfiQ runs on the official WhatsApp Business Platform only. In the Reuters Institute's 2026 survey 81% of Hong Kong respondents had used WhatsApp in the past week and 46% WeChat, so WhatsApp reaches a large share of online customers but not everyone; keep WeChat as its own channel for those who use it.
- How quickly can a number we already use in the WhatsApp Business app move to the API?
- About two hours once Meta business verification is complete, and you may not need to move it at all. With WhatsApp Coexistence the app keeps running on the same number while the API works alongside it, within Meta's limits; the coexistence page lists what differs.
Sources
Facts on this page were checked against these sources on the dates shown. InfiQ's rates come from its published rate card. Page updated 2026-10-20.
- [1]Chapter I, Article 9 · Basic Law of the HKSAR · read 2026-10-20
- [2]International Financial Centre · Hong Kong Monetary Authority · read 2026-10-20
- [3]The Four Key Industries · Census and Statistics Department · read 2026-10-20
- [4]Digital News Report 2026 (Hong Kong market page) · Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism · read 2026-10-20
- [5]Faster Payment System (FPS) · Hong Kong Monetary Authority · read 2026-10-20
- [6]Direct marketing and cold calling (overview) · Community Legal Information Centre (University of Hong Kong) · read 2026-10-20
- [7]Direct marketing: use of personal data (sections 35A–35G) · Community Legal Information Centre (University of Hong Kong) · read 2026-10-20
- [8]Direct marketing: provision of personal data to third parties · Community Legal Information Centre (University of Hong Kong) · read 2026-10-20
- [9]Unsolicited Electronic Messages Ordinance (Cap. 593), section 2 and Schedule 1 · Hong Kong e-Legislation text (copy hosted by Cyrilla) · read 2026-10-20
- [10]LCQ17: Sending unsolicited electronic messages via instant messaging applications (20 January 2016) · HKSAR Government press release · read 2026-10-20
- [11]LCQ13: Unsolicited commercial marketing messages (31 October 2012) · HKSAR Government press release · read 2026-10-20
- [12]FAQ on the Unsolicited Electronic Messages Ordinance (28 February 2008) · Education Bureau / OFTA · read 2026-10-20
- [13]Time Zone Database, 'asia' file (Asia/Hong_Kong, Asia/Kolkata) · IANA · read 2026-10-20
- [14]WhatsApp Business Messaging Policy (updated 23 September 2026) · WhatsApp (Meta) · read 2026-10-20
Consent, unsubscribe, then send
Start a 7-day Lite trial, no card needed, and build the checklist into your first templates. Companies based in Hong Kong: talk to sales about availability.
