HOW-TO: LiveConnect Integration with WeChat

What’s on this page?

• Overview
• Prerequisites
  • Registering for WeChat Official Account
  • Information needed to register
    • Register for a WeChat account
    • WeChat account verification
    • Support for additional integrations
    • Platform restrictions

Note

Due to changes in WeChat’s security and development policies, Tulip is unable to add new WeChat integrations to the customer management system. This restriction is expected to be resolved in December 2021, once the customer management system is integrated with the new WeChat policies.

Overview#

Retailers with a WeChat Official Service Account can connect their account to Tulip LiveConnect app to route messages to local stores. See the section Account Registration below for details on how to register for a WeChat Official Service Account.

Description of functionality

Customers can scan a QR code to follow your brand’s official account, or search for your official account through WeChat, which allows them to send a message to the brand. When a customer messages the official account, they are automatically entered into the chat routing workflow to get connected to an associate at a nearby store.

Once a customer is successfully routed to a store’s Chat Requests queue, any associate from the store is able to Accept the message and begin chatting with the customer. Customers can send text, emojis, and photos through WeChat to communicate with the store associate.

All messages from WeChat are indicated as such in the conversation window and in the conversations list, so associates are able to clearly differentiate WeChat conversations from other channels.

Prerequisites#

Retailers must have a global WeChat Official Account registered for their brand to chat with customers using Tulip LiveConnect.

Registering for WeChat Official Account#

Information needed to register#

• A unique email address that is not in use or has been used previously on WeChat.
• The retailer’s company name and business registration number exactly as it appears on the retailer’s local business license.
• An account administrator contact that includes a full name, passport number, and phone number.
• A brand account name.
• A short description of the brand account’s retail features and service offerings.
• The retailer’s headquarters region and operating area.

Note the following:

• Due to the complexity of information needed during account registration, Tulip cannot register a WeChat account on behalf of a retailer. Retailers are advised to work directly with a brand contact in China to ensure successful account registration.
• Requirements to register for an official WeChat account may change without notice. Please refer to the official WeChat verification documentation below for the most up-to-date account requirements.

Register for a WeChat account#

Register WeChat account registration is done through the WeChat Official Accounts platform website: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/

1. Open the WeChat Official Accounts platform website: [https://mp.weixin.qq.com/](https://mp.weixin.qq.com/)
2. To view the website in English, select the language option located in the upper right corner of the page, and then select English.

3. Click Register Now to create a new account.
4. Select the Service Account type for Tulip LiveConnect. Other WeChat account types are currently not supported.

WeChat account verification#

The retailer’s WeChat Official Service Account must also be verified and be in good standing.

See the official WeChat verification documentation for details.

Support for additional integrations#

Integrating a client’s existing third-party services with LiveConnect, such as an additional chatbot or a customer support routing service, might require additional integration effort beyond the scope of this documentation. Contact Tulip Professional Services for details.

Platform restrictions#

These platform integrations with Tulip LiveConnect empower retailers to provide customer support for customer-initiated chat requests. At the enterprise level, these platforms are not intended to provide 1-to-1 messaging for promotional or marketing purposes. For more information on platform restrictions, see the following official WeChat documentation.