How payments, orders and notifications work

This is for businesses that sell on WhatsApp and want our system to take the payment. You do not need a website.

Before you start

1. Open Take payments and add your business name and type. Customers need this so they can pay you.
2. Add your products and connect your number.
3. In WhatsApp, open Settings, find Take orders in this chat, tick Orders switched on, and set a delivery fee if you charge one.
4. Practise first in test mode (the Live and Test switch at the top of Take payments).

What happens when a customer orders

1. They send MENU and choose items. They confirm and give a delivery address.
2. We make a payment link just for that order, with the exact amount. You do not make anything by hand.
3. They pay on our secure page by card, bank transfer or USSD.
4. They get a receipt on WhatsApp and a 4-digit delivery code.

When the customer pays

• The order turns Paid on its own.
• You get a message in your dashboard (Messages) and an email with what they ordered and where to deliver it.
• The payment is added to your balance in Take payments. It becomes available to withdraw 24 hours after it is paid. Details.
• If you use webhooks, your website also gets an order.paid event.

Process the order

1. Open Take payments and choose the Orders tab. The To send filter shows what is paid and waiting for you.
2. Each order shows the customer, the items, the delivery address and the total.
3. Pack the order. When it leaves you, press Mark as sent. If the customer ordered on WhatsApp they are told it is on its way.
4. At hand-over, ask the customer for their 4-digit delivery code and type it under Check code. A right code closes the order as delivered, so goods never go to the wrong person.

• Waiting for payment shows orders the customer has not paid yet. You can cancel one, and its payment link stops working.
• A paid order cannot be cancelled. To give the money back, refund the payment from Take payments.
• Customers who order on your own website show here too if your website creates its orders with us.

You can receive payments straight away. To withdraw, your business may need to be verified once it passes the small-business limit. Everything you receive is kept safe in the meantime.