WeChat - Do you know how to create a WeChat official account?

WeChat is an all-in-one messaging app developed by Tencent, which also provides games, online shopping, and financial services. Users can get almost everything they need from there within the app, leading to its classification as a "Super-App". Due to these reasons, it’s risen to become the most popular social media in China.

There are different types of accounts on WeChat. Personal accounts are used by individuals, while businesses can create WeChat official accounts to stay in contact with their customers and post promotional information.

Want to register a WeChat Office Account for your company? Check the following steps:

Before registering a WeChat Official Account for business in China, make sure you have:

A local company with a Chinese business license or a WFOE (Wholly Foreign-Owned Enterprise)
A Chinese ID card with WeChat payment account

Here're the simple steps to create a WeChat Official Account.

Go to WeChat Official Accounts Page, click 'Register Now' on the top right corner.

wechat o a 1 — Figure: WeChat Official Accounts register page

Select an account type to continue.

wechat o a 2 — Figure: Choose which type of account you want to register

There're 3 different types of WeChat Official Accounts - Subscription accounts, Service accounts, and Enterprise accounts. WeChat Mini-Programs are essentially apps that live within the WeChat ecosystem, are different from the other accounts.

Subscription Accounts (订阅号)

WeChat subscription accounts focus on information and brand communication. They are used much like a daily news feed. They can publish once a day to subscribers and publish1-6 articles each time. All updates are sent to the users’ subscription folder with no push notifications.

Subscription accounts are the only type of WeChat Official Account that is open to individuals, such as bloggers and celebrities, as the others require a company business license. This type of WeChat Official Account is most suited to individuals and brands that are content-based or information-oriented, such as media publications.

Service Accounts (服务号)

Service Accounts can publish up to 4 times per month, with 1-6 articles each time. When the posts are published, the updates appear as push notifications in followers’ chat lists. Compared to subscription accounts, the posting frequency of service accounts is lower, but the visibility is higher due to push notifications. Verified service accounts can also register for WeChat Pay and set up a WeChat Store.

Enterprise Accounts (企业号)

While subscription accounts and service accounts target external markets, WeChat enterprise accounts are primarily for internal communication and management. This makes this type of WeChat official account similar to Slack and Workplace by Facebook.

Choose Subscription Account as an example (the register steps for other options are similar)

wechat o a 3 — Figure: Fill in with required information – each email address can be registered for only one WeChat product which means if you use an email to register WeChat Subscription Account, you can’t use it for WeChat Service Account or WeChat Mini Program registration

Choose where your business is registered

wechat o a 4 — Figure: So far WeChat only accept China mainland, so click “Confirm” to continue

Select your account type

wechat o a 5 — Figure: Choose “Subscription Account” as we planned

Fill in the registration info

wechat o a 6 — Figure: As a company, we choose “Corporation” to continue

wechat o a 7 — Figure: The admin person of this account should be a Chinese because the verification will need his/her personal ID and WeChat payment account

wechat o a 8 — Figure：System will remind you that all the information you submitted cannot be changed afterwards

Pay the verification fee of CNY ￥ 300 (Approx. to AUD $60) to the specified account, waiting for 5-7 working days, and your WeChat Account is available. Login by your email and password on WeChat Official Accounts Page, you will go to your Office Account operation interface and start to use it.

wechat o a 9 — Figure: A WeChat Office Account operation interface

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