Once WhatsApp is connected, customers who ask for it get their booking and ticket updates on WhatsApp. Everyone else gets email, as today. Here’s what they get, how they choose it, and how email keeps them covered.
The messages customers get
- Booking confirmed: date, time, service, staff member, location and payment
- Reminders: on your usual reminder schedule, with a Pay your balance button when money is due
- Booking moved: when you or your customer change the time
- Booking cancelled: with your deposit policy
- Payment requests: deposit, balance or full-amount links that keep working until paid
- Payment received: an itemised receipt when a balance is paid
- Ticket confirmation: event details and a link to their tickets
Every message comes from your number with your business name and contact details, and a button that opens the booking, payment or tickets on your store.
How customers ask for WhatsApp
- 1
At checkout
When a cart has a booking or a ticket, checkout offers Send my booking updates on WhatsApp (Send my ticket updates when the cart only has tickets). Customers can use the phone number they already entered, or choose Use a different WhatsApp number.
- 2
On a booking you create
When you create a booking in your dashboard, the WhatsApp card asks for the customer’s WhatsApp number. Tick that they agreed to get booking updates on WhatsApp, only if they said yes.
- 3
When you send a payment link
On the booking, click Send link and choose Email or WhatsApp. WhatsApp is greyed out, with the reason, when the customer can’t get it yet.
Only message customers who said yes
Meta watches how customers react. If people block or report your messages, Meta lowers your quality rating and can stop your WhatsApp messages. Only add a WhatsApp number for customers who asked for updates there.
When customers want to stop
Every message ends with Reply STOP to stop these WhatsApp updates, and has a Stop updates button. Customers who reply STOP or tap the button stop getting WhatsApp messages from your store and get their emails instead. They can reply START at any time to turn WhatsApp back on. Only the customer can turn it back on, from their own phone.
Email keeps every customer covered
- Customers get the email as well as the WhatsApp message, unless you turn that email off under What your customers get.
- If you turn an email off and the WhatsApp message can’t be delivered, Shopstar sends the email after all.
- If WhatsApp is paused, waiting for Meta, or disconnected, customers get email as usual.
Turn emails off one message at a time
Start with emails on. Once you can see customers reading your WhatsApp messages, turn off the emails they don’t need, such as reminders.
See what was sent
Recent messages on your WhatsApp page lists the last 30 days, showing whether each message was sent, delivered, read or not delivered. A customer’s page shows their WhatsApp messages too, including any replies if you use a new number.
Frequently asked questions
Do customers who don’t use WhatsApp miss out?
No. Customers who don’t ask for WhatsApp get all their updates by email, exactly as before.
Can customers reply to the messages?
Yes. With your existing number, replies arrive in your WhatsApp Business app. With a new number, replies show on the customer’s page in Shopstar, and each message also tells customers how to contact you.
Can I send marketing or promotions on WhatsApp?
No. WhatsApp updates are for bookings, payments and tickets only, which is what customers agreed to when they asked for them.
A customer replied STOP by mistake. Can I turn it back on?
Ask them to reply START to your WhatsApp number. For their protection, only a message from their own phone can turn WhatsApp updates back on.