How to Sell on WhatsApp: From First Message to Paid Order
To sell on WhatsApp, set up a WhatsApp Business number, bring buyers into the chat, show them the right products, and finish the sale in the same conversation: confirm the order, send a payment link and arrange delivery. Small sellers often do this by hand from the WhatsApp Business app. Once orders grow, connect the number to the WhatsApp Business Platform and let AeroChat answer, take orders, collect payment and book delivery for you, with your catalog and orders in your store or a Google Sheet.
Why sell on WhatsApp
In many countries WhatsApp is how people message everyone, including shops. Buyers can ask a question, see a photo, check a size and pay without leaving a chat they already have open. For a seller, the chat is where doubts get answered and the order gets placed. In Meta’s 2026 State of Business Messaging report, 72.4% of people surveyed said they are more likely to buy from a brand that offers messaging (Kantar survey of 11,056 adults in 22 markets, commissioned by Meta).
Step 1: Choose your WhatsApp setup
- WhatsApp Business app. Free, on your phone. Good for replying by hand, with a business profile, a simple catalog, quick replies and greeting and away messages. It doesn’t connect to your order data and depends on you being there.
- WhatsApp Business Platform (API). Your number runs through a provider such as AeroChat. It connects to your store, payments and courier, sends approved templates, and can answer automatically. Meta charges per delivered message by category and country. See WhatsApp app vs API and WhatsApp pricing.
You can have both on one number. AeroChat supports coexistence, so you keep the app on your phone while the API runs through AeroChat. See WhatsApp coexistence.
Step 2: Put your products where the chat can reach them
Every sale in chat starts with a product question. The answer needs your products, prices and stock.
- Your online store. Shopify, WooCommerce and Wix are built into AeroChat, so it reads products, variants and stock directly.
- A Google Sheet. No store yet? The Google Sheets store lets you sell in chat with your product list and orders in a Google Sheet. It’s the easiest way to start selling in chat with no store subscription, and you can move to a store platform as you grow.
- A WhatsApp catalog. Meta lets you connect a product catalog to your WhatsApp account and show products inside the chat. See WhatsApp catalog.
Step 3: Bring buyers into the chat
- A WhatsApp button on your website and links on your social profiles. See the WhatsApp link generator.
- Click-to-WhatsApp ads on Facebook and Instagram. When a buyer messages from one of these ads on the WhatsApp mobile app and you reply within 24 hours, Meta opens a free window of up to 7 days. See click-to-WhatsApp ads.
- Your WhatsApp link on packaging, receipts and order emails, for repeat orders.
- Broadcasts to customers who opted in, using approved marketing templates. See WhatsApp broadcasts.
Step 4: Answer, recommend and take the order
When a buyer asks, answer with the product, the price, the variants in stock and a photo or link. Ask the one or two questions that decide the right product, such as size, skin type or the phone model. Then confirm the order back to them: items, quantity, total, delivery address and delivery method. See product recommendations and WhatsApp ordering.
Step 5: Collect payment in the chat
Send a payment link for the exact total. The buyer pays by card or a local method without leaving WhatsApp. Payment should be detected automatically, so the buyer never has to send a screenshot or type “paid”. In AeroChat, Airwallex is built in for this. AeroChat never sees card numbers and never holds your funds. Money settles into your Airwallex balance. No Airwallex account yet? Open one here. Other gateways with a public API connect too. See payment link.
If your buyers prefer to pay at the door, see cash on delivery for online sellers.
Step 6: Arrange delivery and keep the buyer informed
Once paid, book the delivery and send the tracking link in the same chat. POS Malaysia is built into AeroChat for booking deliveries and tracking parcels. Other couriers connect through their APIs. See WhatsApp delivery updates.
Step 7: Follow up for the next order
Ask for a review after delivery, and remind repeat buyers when they’re likely to run out, to customers who opted in. See review requests and win-back.
The whole sale in one chat
Customer: Hi, do you still have the ceramic planter in white, the medium one? (example)
AeroChat: Hi! Yes, the medium ceramic planter in white is in stock, US$32. It’s 18cm across, for pots up to 15cm. Would you like one?
Customer: 2 please, deliver to 9 River Street
AeroChat: 2 x medium white planter, US$64, plus US$5 delivery, total US$69, to 9 River Street (example). Here is your payment link.
AeroChat, after payment: Payment received, thank you. Your order #1184 is booked for delivery. Here is your tracking link.
Copy this into AeroChat
When a customer asks about a product, answer from our product list with the price and the variants in stock. When they want to order, confirm the items, quantity, delivery address and total including delivery of US$5 (example), and send a payment link for the total. When the payment is confirmed, create the order, book the delivery and send the tracking link. If they ask to pay on delivery, tell them it’s available for orders under US$100 (example) and confirm the order without a payment link. If they ask for a custom order or a bulk price, hand the conversation to our team.
Questions
Can I sell on WhatsApp without a website?
Yes. Use a Google Sheet as your store with AeroChat, or a WhatsApp catalog, and take payment by link.
Is it allowed to sell anything on WhatsApp?
No. Meta’s Commerce and Business Policies list products that can’t be sold, and selling them can get a number restricted. Check them before you start. See account restrictions.
Can I message customers who haven’t messaged me?
Only those who opted in, and only with an approved template outside the 24-hour customer service window. See WhatsApp message templates.
How many messages can I send?
Meta sets messaging limits for business-initiated messages, which rise as your number shows good quality. See messaging limits.
Take the whole sale on WhatsApp
Start your 7-day free trial. No credit card needed. Connect your number, add your products, paste the recipe, and place a test order from your own phone.
On Shopify? Install AeroChat from the Shopify App Store.