Quick answer
Two kinds of WhatsApp for business
Most small shops start with the free WhatsApp Business app on one phone. A chatbot needs the WhatsApp Business Platform, which connects your business number to software instead of a phone.
| WhatsApp Business app | WhatsApp Business Platform | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | One owner answering on a phone | Many chats, a team or a chatbot |
| Automation | Greeting, away message, quick replies, catalogue | A full chatbot, order updates, team inbox |
| Cost from WhatsApp | Free | Charged per message, by country |
| Set-up | Download the app | Meta business account and a provider |
What a chatbot can answer for you
A good shop chatbot handles the questions you already answer twenty times a day:
- Prices and products: "How much is the blue kurta in medium?"
- Stock and sizes: "Do you have size 42?"
- Timings and location: opening hours, address and a map link.
- Delivery and payment: areas you deliver to, delivery charges, cash on delivery or bank transfer.
- Order taking: collect the item, size, name, address and phone number, then confirm the order with you.
- Order status: if it is connected to your order sheet or app.
It learns only from what you give it: your price list, catalogue, policies and FAQs. When it is not sure, it should say so instead of guessing.
What it should pass to you
A chatbot should never pretend to be the owner. Set clear rules for when it hands the chat to a person:
- Complaints and refunds, or an angry customer.
- Discounts and special prices, which only you should agree.
- Bulk or custom orders that need your judgement.
- Anything it cannot answer from your information.
- When the customer asks for a person.
The best set-up tells the customer "I'll pass this to the owner" and sends you an alert with a short summary, so you do not have to read the whole chat.
What you need to start
A business phone number
A number for the shop that will be connected to the WhatsApp Business Platform. Check with your provider how it works with the WhatsApp app you already use.
A Meta business account
A free Meta Business account (the same one used for Facebook and Instagram ads), with your business name and details filled in correctly.
A provider or developer
The Platform is used through software: either a WhatsApp Business Solution Provider or a developer who connects it directly. This is where the chatbot is built and where your team inbox lives.
Your shop information
A price list, product names and photos, sizes, delivery areas and charges, payment methods, opening hours and your return policy. Clear information gives clear answers.
Hand-over rules and a test week
Decide what the bot must pass to you, then test it for a week with friends and real questions before you announce it to customers.
What it costs
There are usually three parts:
- Set-up: building and training the chatbot on your information. With us, an AI Assistant starts from £399.
- Monthly running: hosting, updates and reports. With us, from £49 a month, cancel any time.
- WhatsApp's message charges: paid to Meta through the provider. Since 1 October 2026, replies sent inside the 24-hour customer service window are also charged, at rates that depend on the customer's country. Ask your provider for the current price list for your country.
Pricing change: respond.io, 2026 and Zoho Community. Rates change, so always check the latest figures.
Rules to know
- Customers start the chat. When a customer writes to you, a 24-hour window opens for replies. After that, you can only send pre-approved message templates.
- Marketing needs permission. Only send offers to customers who agreed to receive them, and let them stop easily.
- Business bots only. Since 15 January 2026, general-purpose AI assistants are not allowed on WhatsApp's business platform. A chatbot that serves your own customers is fine.
- Never ask for card details or passwords in the chat.
Policy change: TechCrunch.
Questions
Can I use a chatbot on my normal WhatsApp Business app?+
Will customers know they are talking to a bot?+
Can the chatbot reply in Urdu or Arabic?+
Is ChatGPT allowed on WhatsApp for my shop?+
Founder, Rizwan's AI Agency. Plans and builds websites, apps and AI tools for small businesses in the UK, UAE and Pakistan.
Want a chatbot for your shop?
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