diff --git a/QRCoder/PayloadGenerator.cs b/QRCoder/PayloadGenerator.cs
index 397c4f77..c5df52fc 100644
--- a/QRCoder/PayloadGenerator.cs
+++ b/QRCoder/PayloadGenerator.cs
@@ -331,7 +331,10 @@ public class WhatsAppMessage : Payload
             /// <summary>
             /// Let's you compose a WhatApp message and send it the receiver number.
             /// </summary>
-            /// <param name="number">Receiver phone number</param>
+            /// <param name="number">Receiver phone number where the <number> is a full phone number in international format. 
+            /// Omit any zeroes, brackets, or dashes when adding the phone number in international format.
+            /// Use: 1XXXXXXXXXX | Don't use: +001-(XXX)XXXXXXX
+            /// </param>
             /// <param name="message">The message</param>
             public WhatsAppMessage(string number, string message)
             {
@@ -351,7 +354,8 @@ public WhatsAppMessage(string message)
 
             public override string ToString()
             {
-                return ($"whatsapp://send?phone={this.number}&text={Uri.EscapeDataString(message)}");
+                var cleanedPhone = Regex.Replace(this.number, @"^[0+]+|[ ()-]", string.Empty);
+                return ($"https://wa.me/{cleanedPhone}?text={Uri.EscapeDataString(message)}");
             }
         }
 
diff --git a/QRCoderTests/PayloadGeneratorTests.cs b/QRCoderTests/PayloadGeneratorTests.cs
index f60da2b7..64717574 100644
--- a/QRCoderTests/PayloadGeneratorTests.cs
+++ b/QRCoderTests/PayloadGeneratorTests.cs
@@ -2923,13 +2923,13 @@ public void contactdata_generator_can_generate_payload_full_vcard4_reverse()
         [Category("PayloadGenerator/WhatsAppMessage")]
         public void whatsapp_generator_can_generate_payload_simple()
         {
-            var number = "01601234567";
+            var number = "491601234567";
             var msg = "This is a sample message with Umlauts: Ä,ö, ü and ß.";
             var generator = new PayloadGenerator.WhatsAppMessage(number, msg);
 
             generator
                 .ToString()
-                .ShouldBe("whatsapp://send?phone=01601234567&text=This%20is%20a%20sample%20message%20with%20Umlauts%3A%20%C3%84%2C%C3%B6%2C%20%C3%BC%20and%20%C3%9F.");
+                .ShouldBe("https://wa.me/491601234567?text=This%20is%20a%20sample%20message%20with%20Umlauts%3A%20%C3%84%2C%C3%B6%2C%20%C3%BC%20and%20%C3%9F.");
         }
 
         [Fact]
@@ -2941,9 +2941,34 @@ public void whatsapp_should_add_unused_params()
 
             generator
                 .ToString()
-                .ShouldBe("whatsapp://send?phone=&text=This%20is%20a%20sample%20message%20with%20Umlauts%3A%20%C3%84%2C%C3%B6%2C%20%C3%BC%20and%20%C3%9F.");
+                .ShouldBe("https://wa.me/?text=This%20is%20a%20sample%20message%20with%20Umlauts%3A%20%C3%84%2C%C3%B6%2C%20%C3%BC%20and%20%C3%9F.");
         }
 
+        [Fact]
+        [Category("PayloadGenerator/WhatsAppMessage")]
+        public void whatsapp_should_cleanup_phonenumber_1()
+        {
+            var number = "+49(160)1234567";
+            var msg = "This is a sample message with Umlauts: Ä,ö, ü and ß.";
+            var generator = new PayloadGenerator.WhatsAppMessage(number, msg);
+
+            generator
+                .ToString()
+                .ShouldBe("https://wa.me/491601234567?text=This%20is%20a%20sample%20message%20with%20Umlauts%3A%20%C3%84%2C%C3%B6%2C%20%C3%BC%20and%20%C3%9F.");
+        }
+
+        [Fact]
+        [Category("PayloadGenerator/WhatsAppMessage")]
+        public void whatsapp_should_cleanup_phonenumber_2()
+        {
+            var number = "0049-160-1234 567";
+            var msg = "This is a sample message with Umlauts: Ä,ö, ü and ß.";
+            var generator = new PayloadGenerator.WhatsAppMessage(number, msg);
+
+            generator
+                .ToString()
+                .ShouldBe("https://wa.me/491601234567?text=This%20is%20a%20sample%20message%20with%20Umlauts%3A%20%C3%84%2C%C3%B6%2C%20%C3%BC%20and%20%C3%9F.");
+        }
 
         [Fact]
         [Category("PayloadGenerator/Monero")]
@@ -2957,7 +2982,6 @@ public void monero_generator_can_generate_payload_simple()
                 .ShouldBe("monero://46BeWrHpwXmHDpDEUmZBWZfoQpdc6HaERCNmx1pEYL2rAcuwufPN9rXHHtyUA4QVy66qeFQkn6sfK8aHYjA3jk3o1Bv16em");
         }
 
-
         [Fact]
         [Category("PayloadGenerator/Monero")]
         public void monero_generator_can_generate_payload_first_param()