WhatsApp Business for restaurants: the UK guide for 2026
Updated 19 October 2026
WhatsApp Business is a free app from Meta that gives your restaurant a business profile, a menu catalogue, automatic greeting and away messages, quick replies and a shareable chat link. UK restaurants and takeaways use it to take orders and bookings, answer questions and keep regulars coming back. When chats get busy, you can add automated ordering through the WhatsApp Business API.
This guide covers the benefits, the features worth using, the real costs and the rules. It also links to every step-by-step guide we've written.
Want orders, not just chats? then see how works.
Why UK restaurants use WhatsApp Business
Your customers already have WhatsApp on their phones. Running your business on WhatsApp meets them where they already chat, without asking them to download anything. Here are the main benefits of a WhatsApp Business account for a food business.
- It's free to start. The WhatsApp Business app costs nothing to download and use. You only pay for extras such as Meta Verified, paid marketing messages, ads or the API.
- You look like a business, not a person. A business profile shows your address, opening hours, category, website and menu. That builds trust before anyone orders.
- Fewer phone calls in the rush. Customers can message instead of ringing. Quick replies answer "Are you open?" and "Do you deliver to me?" in two taps.
- Customers who reach you direct. An order through WhatsApp, or through your own ordering page, carries no delivery-app commission.
- A way back to your regulars. You can reach people who've opted in with offers, new dishes and "we're open again" messages. Follow the UK consent rules (see below).
- Bookings and big orders made easy. Table bookings, office lunches, party platters and cake orders all suit a chat.
- It grows with you. Start on the free app. Move to automated ordering on the API when you need more than one phone can handle.
WhatsApp Business features restaurants actually use
| Feature | What it does | How a restaurant uses it | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business profile | Shows name, address, hours, category, description, email and website | Answers the basics before anyone asks | Free |
| Catalogue | Lists items with photos, prices and descriptions | Shows your menu and specials | Free |
| Greeting message | Auto-reply to first-time chats, and to chats quiet for 14 days | Sends a welcome and your menu link | Free |
| Away message | Auto-reply when you're closed or busy | "We're closed. We open at 5pm." | Free |
| Quick replies | Saved messages you send with "/" (up to 50) | /menu, /hours, /allergens, /delivery | Free |
| Labels or lists | Sort chats into groups | New order, Paid, Ready, Collected | Free |
| Short link and QR code | A link and QR that open a chat with you | Window stickers, bags, Instagram bio | Free |
| Linked devices | Use the account on up to 4 extra devices | Counter tablet, manager's laptop | Free |
| Broadcasts / marketing messages | Send one message to many customers | Offers and new dishes | Broadcast lists free. Marketing messages paid where offered |
| Meta Verified | Verified badge and extra support | Shows customers you're genuine | Paid subscription |
| WhatsApp Business API | Automation, many users, integrations | Automatic ordering and order updates | Per-message fees plus your provider |
Want to set these up now? Follow our step-by-step WhatsApp Business setup guide.
Three ways to use WhatsApp for a restaurant
Most UK food businesses fit one of these three set-ups.
| 1. Business app only | 2. Business app + ordering page | 3. Automated WhatsApp ordering (API) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| How orders arrive | Typed into the chat | Customer orders on your web menu | Customer sends "Hi", taps Order Now, orders on your menu |
| Who replies | You, by hand | You, less often | Automatic, with a shared inbox for people |
| Order updates | Typed by hand | Typed by hand | Sent automatically |
| Card payments | Payment link sent by hand | At checkout on your menu | At checkout on your menu |
| Monthly cost | £0 | £0 on Menuthere Free (50 orders/month) | Menuthere Pro plus Meta message fees |
| Best for | Very small or new businesses | Takeaways testing direct orders | Busy takeaways, dark kitchens, multi-site groups |
Our view: start with set-up 2. It's free, it removes order typos, and it shows you how many customers will order direct. Move to set-up 3 when WhatsApp gets busy. That's the point where you're typing the same updates fifty times a night. Read more about the WhatsApp ordering system.
What WhatsApp Business costs in the UK
| Cost | Who charges | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| WhatsApp Business app | Meta | Free |
| Meta Verified | Meta | Monthly subscription where offered. Meta prices it in US dollars, so see Meta's price in the app |
| Marketing messages (business broadcasts) in the app | Meta | Paid per delivered message. Meta says they're in limited countries, so check Tools in your app. Where offered, Meta prices a UK recipient from its GBP rate card (£0.0458 a message from 1 July 2026), and the app shows the total and tax before you pay |
| Click-to-WhatsApp ads | Meta | You set the ad budget |
| WhatsApp Business API messages | Meta | Per delivered template message, priced by the customer's country. Meta's GBP rate card (from 1 July 2026): marketing £0.0458, utility £0.0159. Free-form service replies: the first 1,000 a month per number are free, then £0.0159 each |
| API provider | Your provider (for example Menuthere Pro) | Menuthere Pro is US$39 a month (billed in US dollars; your bank converts it), with 0% commission on orders. Meta bills your own WhatsApp account directly, and Menuthere adds no markup |
For exact per-message rates in pounds, see WhatsApp Business API pricing in the UK or use the WhatsApp cost calculator. For a short answer on the app, read is WhatsApp Business free?
Getting set up in six steps
- Download the WhatsApp Business app and register your number. You can use a UK mobile or a landline you own, but not a VoIP, freephone or premium number. See WhatsApp Business number and landlines.
- Fill in your business profile and business hours.
- Turn on the greeting message and an away message for after hours.
- Save quick replies and set up labels to track orders.
- Share your link and QR code. Make a pre-filled "I'd like to order" link with the WhatsApp link generator and print QR stickers.
The full walkthrough, with UK examples, is in how to set up WhatsApp Business for your restaurant.
Using WhatsApp Business day to day
Taking orders. You can take orders in the chat. But typed orders get messy fast: missing sizes, wrong totals, no address. See how to take orders on WhatsApp and how to confirm a WhatsApp order. If you're missing orders at busy times, that's the sign to automate.
Bookings. Customers can book a table on WhatsApp. A pre-filled "Book a table" link saves them typing.
Staff on one number. The app works on one phone plus up to four linked devices. Read how many staff can use one WhatsApp Business number and using WhatsApp Business on a laptop.
Marketing. Send offers to people who've opted in. Learn how to send a WhatsApp broadcast and why bulk messages from the normal app can get you banned. Then choose between channels, groups and broadcasts, or start a WhatsApp community. For a bigger plan, see WhatsApp marketing for restaurants.
Reviews and discovery. Ask every customer for a Google review: see how to get more Google reviews. Add a WhatsApp button to your Google listing. Or run click-to-WhatsApp ads to reach new local customers.
Rules UK restaurants must follow on WhatsApp
- Consent for marketing. UK GDPR and PECR apply to marketing messages. Get clear permission before you send offers, and make it easy to opt out. See our UK GDPR and PECR guide for WhatsApp marketing and how to get a customer's permission.
- Allergens. For distance selling, the FSA says allergen information must be available before purchase and at delivery. A menu link with allergens per dish covers "before purchase". On Menuthere, every plan including Free lets you tag any of the 14 UK allergens, calories and a halal mark on each dish, and customers see them when they open the dish. Keep an allergen matrix too. Your bag label or packaging covers delivery.
- Card details. Never ask customers to type card numbers into a chat. Here's why. WhatsApp Pay isn't available in the UK, so use a secure checkout or payment link. Read WhatsApp payments in the UK.
- No card surcharges. Surcharges on consumer cards have been banned in the UK since January 2018.
- Meta's policies. WhatsApp's Commerce and Business Messaging policies apply, so watch out for alcohol and spam-like behaviour. See why WhatsApp Business accounts get banned.
When to move from the app to the API
The free app is built for one business owner and a few devices. These are the signs you've outgrown it:
- Several staff reply at once and step on each other's toes.
- You type the same "your order is ready" message many times a night.
- Orders get lost in long chats.
- You want order updates to send themselves, or a bot to answer at 11pm.
That's when the WhatsApp Business API makes sense. Read the app vs API comparison, WhatsApp's 24-hour rule and whether you can keep the same number on both. Menuthere runs the API on your own number as part of Pro. Menuthere is an official Meta Tech Provider.
The full WhatsApp Business guide library
Getting started
Your number, profile and account
Messages and automation
Menu, links and QR codes
Marketing
- UK GDPR and PECR for WhatsApp marketing
Ordering and payments
API and costs
Common mistakes to avoid
- Using your personal number. Customers end up messaging you at midnight, and you can't hand the account to staff. Get a separate business number.
- Leaving the profile half-filled. If your hours and address are missing, you'll get more "are you open?" messages.
- Sending offers to everyone in your phone. That breaks UK consent rules and gets numbers reported and banned.
- Typing orders by hand on a Friday night. Send a menu link instead, so the order arrives complete.
- Printing a QR code without testing it. Scan it from another phone before you print 500 stickers.
Turn WhatsApp chats into proper orders with 0% commission.
FAQs
Is WhatsApp Business good for restaurants?
Yes, for most. It's free and your customers already use WhatsApp. It covers the basics well: a business profile, a menu catalogue, auto-replies and quick replies. Busy takeaways usually add automated ordering so orders don't get lost in chats.
What are the benefits of a WhatsApp Business account over normal WhatsApp?
A business profile, a catalogue, greeting and away messages, quick replies, labels, a short link and QR code, and linked devices for staff. Normal WhatsApp has none of these business tools.
Is WhatsApp Business free in the UK?
The app is free to download and use. Paid extras include Meta Verified, paid marketing messages where offered, ads and the WhatsApp Business API. API messages are charged per message at Meta's UK rates.
Can customers order food on WhatsApp?
Yes. They can type an order in the chat, or you can send them a link to your online menu. With Menuthere Pro, they send "Hi", tap Order Now and order from your menu, and the updates come back to WhatsApp automatically.
Can customers pay through WhatsApp in the UK?
Not inside WhatsApp. WhatsApp Pay isn't available in the UK. Use a card checkout on your ordering page, a secure payment link, or pay on collection.
Can more than one member of staff use the same WhatsApp Business number?
Yes, up to a point. The app works on one phone plus up to four linked devices. For a bigger team, the API gives you a shared inbox.
Do I need consent to send offers to customers on WhatsApp?
Yes. UK GDPR and PECR apply to marketing messages. Get clear opt-in, say what you'll send and make opting out easy.
Should I use the WhatsApp Business app or the API?
Start with the free app. Move to the API when several people need to reply, when you want automatic order updates, or when orders start getting missed.
Sources (13)
- WhatsApp Help Centre: How to register for the WhatsApp Business app (faq.whatsapp.com/1344487902959714), accessed 11 Oct 2026
- WhatsApp Help Centre: How to edit your business profile (faq.whatsapp.com/665179381840568), accessed 11 Oct 2026
- WhatsApp Help Centre: How to use greeting messages (faq.whatsapp.com/501866148528310), accessed 11 Oct 2026
- WhatsApp Help Centre: How to use away messages (faq.whatsapp.com/2565868990219715), accessed 11 Oct 2026
- WhatsApp Help Centre: How to use quick replies (faq.whatsapp.com/1791149784551042), accessed 11 Oct 2026
- WhatsApp Help Centre: How to use labels (faq.whatsapp.com/3398508707096369; "Labels are now lists", rolling out gradually), accessed 11 Oct 2026
- WhatsApp Help Centre: How to create short links (faq.whatsapp.com/502291734918768) and About QR code for WhatsApp Business (faq.whatsapp.com/888878128766436), accessed 11 Oct 2026
- WhatsApp Help Centre: About linked devices on the WhatsApp Business app (faq.whatsapp.com/647349420360876), accessed 11 Oct 2026
- WhatsApp Help Centre: About pricing for marketing messages (faq.whatsapp.com/1022626499062292) and About pricing for business broadcasts (faq.whatsapp.com/1356785542323967, links the GBP rate card; "available in limited countries"), accessed 11 Oct 2026
- Meta for Developers: Pricing on the WhatsApp Business Platform (developers.facebook.com/docs/whatsapp/pricing), accessed 11 Oct 2026
- Food Standards Agency: allergen guidance for food businesses, food.gov.uk, accessed 11 Oct 2026
- ICO: Electronic mail marketing (covers "any text, voice, sound or image message", including direct messages, and the soft opt-in), ico.org.uk/for-organisations/direct-marketing-and-privacy-and-electronic-communications/guide-to-pecr/electronic-and-telephone-marketing/electronic-mail-marketing/, accessed 11 Oct 2026
- Menuthere: Pricing and WhatsApp ordering pages, accessed 11 Oct 2026