How do I take restaurant orders on WhatsApp in the Gulf?
By the Menuthere editorial team · Updated
The simplest way in the Gulf is a free Menuthere WhatsApp order page: the customer picks items on a page and the order lands in your chat totalled, with their name and address, at 0% commission. For full automation, the Pro plan ($39/month) connects the WhatsApp Business API to your own number so a customer gets an 'Order Now' button. Updated October 2026.
- A free WhatsApp order page from Menuthere totals the order and drops it into your chat with name and address, at 0% commission.
- The free WhatsApp Business app gives you a catalog, but the order stays manual in the chat.
- On Pro you connect WhatsApp to your own number with an 'Order Now' button and automatic status updates.
- Meta adds a per-message fee on the WhatsApp Business API, billed by Meta to your own account.
- Payment is outside the chat: cash or pickup free, a payment link, or card online on Lite depending on your country.
Turn WhatsApp into a real order channel
Menuthere's free WhatsApp order page lets customers pick their items and send you a complete, totalled order with their details, straight into your chat — no login and no commission. It can grow into a full ordering store or be automated on Pro.
What is a WhatsApp order page and how does it work?
A Menuthere WhatsApp order page is a page with your items; the customer taps what they want, enters their name, pickup or delivery address and (for pre-orders) a date, and the finished order opens in WhatsApp addressed to you, totalled automatically. The customer doesn't type the order by hand, needs no login, and publishing it takes only an email code.
| Business app catalog | Menuthere order page | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free | Free |
| Order is totalled | No, typed in chat | Yes, added up automatically |
| Customer details | Asked in chat | Collected on the page |
| Pre-orders with a date | No | Yes |
| Grows into a full store | No | Yes, if you choose |
Can I automate ordering on WhatsApp?
Yes, on the Pro plan ($39/month). It connects the WhatsApp Business API to your own number, so a customer who sends 'Hi' gets an 'Order Now' button that opens your menu, and you can send automatic status updates and comeback messages. The Business app alone does not automate ordering; it is a manual chat. Meta adds a per-message fee billed to your account.
How do I take payment over WhatsApp?
Payment happens outside the chat: cash or pay-on-pickup free, or your own payment link or bank details. In the UAE card payments work online on the Lite plan through your own account; in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar and Oman they depend on a local gateway being supported, so check before promising it. Menuthere takes no cut of the order.
Who this is a good fit for
- Home kitchens, bakeries and cafés in the Gulf that already talk to customers on WhatsApp.
- Custom or made-to-order food (cakes, catering) where a short chat settles the details.
- Owners who want to start taking orders today with no setup cost.
Who this is not for
- High-volume kitchens that need every order to land on a kitchen display without anyone reading a chat.
- Anyone selling alcohol or tobacco: WhatsApp's commerce rules bar selling those through its catalog and orders.
Common follow-up questions
Is WhatsApp ordering free?
The WhatsApp Business app and a Menuthere order page are free, at 0% commission. Automated ordering on the WhatsApp Business API (Menuthere Pro) adds Meta's per-message fee, which Meta bills to your own account.
Does the customer need to install anything?
Only WhatsApp, which most people in the Gulf already have. There is no separate app to download and no login to create to send you an order, which lifts the share of customers who finish.
Can I take Ramadan and catering pre-orders on WhatsApp?
Yes. The order page supports a pre-order with a date, suited to Ramadan, iftar and catering. The order reaches your chat totalled, with the date and details.
Read next
Sources (2)
- About catalog — WhatsApp Business, WhatsApp, read 25 October 2026
- Menuthere free WhatsApp order page, Menuthere, read 25 October 2026