WhatsApp Integration — orders in one tap
Accept orders through WhatsApp — the way it's done across Latin America ("Pedir por WhatsApp"), the Middle East, India and Southeast Asia. A guest builds a cart in your QR menu, taps the green button — and the order opens as a ready-made message in a WhatsApp chat with your restaurant.
1. Overview#
The WhatsApp button takes the completed cart into a chat familiar to the guest. This scenario does not require a separate bot.
The Meni integration uses the official WhatsApp click-to-chat mechanism (wa.me links):
- The message is composed on the guest’s device and opens in WhatsApp through a link. The storefront separately sends an order to Meni; saving it requires a server connection.
- No WhatsApp Business API required — a regular WhatsApp account or the free WhatsApp Business app on the restaurant's phone is enough.
- The order is saved in Meni through a separate request with the WhatsApp channel. After successful submission it appears in Orders and enters the normal workflow; opening WhatsApp alone does not guarantee that it was saved.
💡 There is a second, independent scenario: connect a WhatsApp Business (Cloud API) number as an inbound channel of the guest chat — then conversations with guests land in the shared inbox ("Team chat" → "Guests" section). It isn't needed for the order button; you enable it in the "My site" hub → Chat → the "🔌 Channels" block (you'll need the Phone Number ID and an access token from your Meta account). This channel needs a working inbound message receiver. After setup, test an incoming message and a reply from the panel: the connection fields alone do not establish that the channel is ready on your brand.
What the guest sees#
- The guest scans the QR code and opens the menu.
- Adds dishes to the cart, picks delivery or pickup, enters name, phone and address.
- Taps the green "Order via WhatsApp" button.
- WhatsApp opens with the order text already filled in — all that's left is to hit "Send".
- The restaurant receives the order as a regular message and replies right in the chat: confirmation, timing, payment.
Message example#
🍽 Cantina La Plaza — Order #1042
▪ 2× Tacos al pastor — 180 ₾
· Size: large
· + Guacamole
▪ 1× Lemonade — 40 ₾
*Total: 220 ₾*
📦 Delivery
📍 Address: 12 Rustaveli st., apt. 5
👤 Name: Maria
📞 Phone: +995 555 123 456
💵 Payment: cash
The text is generated in the language the guest was browsing the menu in.
2. Requirements#
- ✅ A Meni account with a configured location
- ✅ A phone number with WhatsApp (regular or WhatsApp Business)
- ✅ Ordering enabled in the menu (cart not disabled)
Nothing else: no API keys, no Meta verification, no separate server.
3. Two-minute setup#
- Open the Admin Panel → Locations → pick a location.
- Find the "Delivery & Pickup" section.
- Enable the "Accept orders via WhatsApp" checkbox.
- Enter the WhatsApp number in international format, e.g.
+995 555 123 456.- If left empty, the WhatsApp number from the location's contacts section is used.
- Changes save automatically — the button appears in the client menu once the profile syncs.
💡 Also enable "Delivery enabled" and/or "Pickup enabled" so the guest can choose how to receive the order. With both off, the order is placed as a dine-in order.
4. Handling orders#
| Step | Action |
|---|---|
| 1 | The order arrives as a WhatsApp message |
| 2 | Confirm it with a reply (prep time, total) |
| 3 | Find the order number in Admin → Orders: after successful submission it carries the WhatsApp channel |
| 4 | Update the order status in the admin panel as usual — the guest sees it on the order page |
Tips:
- Use WhatsApp Business: quick replies, catalog, labels for orders.
- Pin a reply template: "Got it! Cooking now, ready in ~30 minutes".
- A separate WhatsApp number can be set per location.
5. FAQ#
Do I need the WhatsApp Business API?
No. The integration uses official click-to-chat links (wa.me) which work with any WhatsApp account: the order button needs no API. It is only needed for the second scenario — if you want to run guest conversations inside the panel (the WhatsApp channel of the guest chat, see "Overview").
What if the guest doesn't have WhatsApp installed?
The wa.me link opens WhatsApp Web in the browser. The regular "Place order" button also remains available.
Is the order recorded even if the guest never taps "Send" in WhatsApp? The button submits the order independently of whether the guest presses Send inside WhatsApp. If saving succeeds, the order appears in the panel even without the message. A failed connection may prevent it from appearing automatically: check the number in Orders before creating it manually.
Can I use different numbers for delivery and pickup? Currently one number per location. For different scenarios, create separate locations.
Does it work with group chats? No, click-to-chat opens a direct chat with the specified number.