WhatsApp ordering for restaurants in Brazil
Updated October 19, 2026
WhatsApp is Brazil's most used network, and Menuthere turns a chat on your own number into a proper order. The customer sends "Oi", taps Order Now, orders from your menu in reais and pays by Pix or card into your own Stripe account. Updates follow in the chat. Order updates are cheap in Brazil, at R$0.035 each on Meta's BRL card from October 1, 2026. Menuthere sends them as utility templates, so each is billed. Marketing is the expensive part, at R$0.3217, about nine times as much.
In short
- 82% of Brazilian respondents used WhatsApp in the past week, the highest of any network in the Reuters Institute's Digital News Report 2026.
- Pix and cards through your own Stripe account (Lite and up). Menuthere takes 0% commission.
- Your own number on the official WhatsApp Business Platform, billed by Meta directly with no markup.
- Pro plan: US$39 a month for WhatsApp ordering, automatic updates, broadcasts and loyalty.
WhatsApp in Brazil, in numbers
| Network | Used in the past week, any purpose | Used for news |
|---|---|---|
| 82% | 46% | |
| 70% | 49% | |
| YouTube | 70% | 42% |
| 55% | 30% | |
| TikTok | 40% | 21% |
| Telegram | 21% | 8% |
Source: Reuters Institute, Digital News Report 2026, Brazil (online survey by YouGov, published June 2026).
Instagram is where people find you; WhatsApp is where they talk to you. A good set-up uses both: the Instagram bio link opens a WhatsApp chat with a pre-filled "Oi".
Meta's BRL rate card
Meta has published a real card since July 1, 2026. The current file: "Cost per message in BRL on the WhatsApp Business Platform, effective October 1, 2026". For Brazilian (+55) numbers:
| Category | BRL card | USD card |
|---|---|---|
| Marketing | R$0.3217 | US$0.0625 |
| Utility | R$0.035 | US$0.0068 |
| Service | R$0.035 | US$0.0068 |
The gap is wide: a marketing message costs about nine times an update. Updates are cheap enough to send every one, while a broadcast to 1,000 people costs R$321.70. Under Brazil's LGPD, send offers only to customers who agreed to receive them. Read what Brazil's LGPD means for WhatsApp offers.
Menuthere's order updates are utility templates and always billed. Only the reply to "Oi" or "Hi" is a service message, and the first 1,000 of those each month are free per business number. Run your own numbers in the WhatsApp cost calculator. How each category works: WhatsApp's four message types.
Pix, cards and WhatsApp's own payments
Brazil is one of the few countries where WhatsApp itself handles payments. WhatsApp's Help Center lists Brazil for paying registered businesses in the app, and Meta's Payments API for Brazil supports dynamic Pix codes, payment links, boleto and one-click card payments. Menuthere doesn't use WhatsApp's in-chat payments, though. Customers pay on your Menuthere checkout instead:
- Pix through Stripe. Stripe accounts in Brazil can accept Pix, with immediate confirmation. Menuthere's checkout shows the methods switched on in your Stripe account, so switch Pix on in Stripe and test it with a small order.
- Cards at Stripe's standard Brazilian rate of 3.99% + R$0.39 per domestic card transaction. Apple Pay and Google Pay may not show inside WhatsApp's in-app browser; card entry does.
- Boleto isn't for hot food. Stripe confirms boleto payments in up to one business day, so the food would be cold. Leave it off for delivery orders.
- Cash or card machine on delivery and pay at pickup work on every plan.
More on in-app payment rules: can customers pay inside WhatsApp.
iFood, 99Food and Rappi
| App | From our commission pages |
|---|---|
| iFood | 23% on Plano Entrega, 12% on Plano Básico; plus 3.2% on orders paid in the app; monthly fee of R$150 or R$110 once iFood sales pass R$1,800 |
| 99Food | Not published; reported 0% for new restaurants for up to 12 months, then about 8.9% |
| Rappi | 0% commission plus a 3.5% fee if you deliver; 27% if Rappi delivers; a 2025 zero-commission offer may apply |
Comparing platforms? See iFood alternatives.
Worked example: a São Paulo pizzeria with 500 WhatsApp orders a month
500 orders at R$50 average (R$25,000 a month). Brazilian numbers, BRL billing, all five updates on, every order paid by card through Stripe.
| Cost | Working | Monthly |
|---|---|---|
| "Oi" replies (service) | 500, inside the 1,000 free | R$0 |
| Order updates (utility) | 500 × 5 = 2,500 × R$0.035 | R$87.50 |
| One promo broadcast | 1,000 opted-in customers × R$0.3217 | R$321.70 |
| Stripe card fees | 3.99% of R$25,000 + 500 × R$0.39 | R$1,192.50 |
| Menuthere Pro | US$39 |
The same R$25,000 on iFood:
- Plano Entrega: 23% (R$5,750) + 3.2% online payment fee (R$800) + R$150 monthly = R$6,700
- Plano Básico (you deliver): 12% (R$3,000) + R$800 + R$110 = R$3,910
The iFood figures assume every order is paid in the app.
Set-up checklist for Brazil
- Menu written in Portuguese. The menu language button doesn't translate into Portuguese, so write it that way.
- Welcome reply edited to Portuguese and set to answer "Oi" and "Olá" as well as "Hi" (use a First message flow).
- Stripe connected, Pix switched on, one test order paid.
- Opt-in wording on your menu or checkout before any broadcast (LGPD).
- Pre-filled link made with the WhatsApp link generator for your Instagram bio, and a QR from the QR sticker maker for boxes.
Prefer Portuguese? See WhatsApp ordering in Portuguese.
FAQs
How much does WhatsApp cost per message in Brazil?
On Meta's BRL card effective October 1, 2026, a message to a Brazilian number costs R$0.3217 for marketing and R$0.035 for utility or service. Menuthere's order updates are utility templates and always billed; only the reply to Oi or Hi counts toward the 1,000 free service messages a month.
Can customers pay by Pix for a WhatsApp order?
Yes, through your own Stripe account. Stripe accounts in Brazil can accept Pix. Customers tap Order Now in WhatsApp and pay by Pix on your Menuthere checkout, if you have switched Pix on in Stripe.
Does Menuthere use WhatsApp Pay in Brazil?
No. WhatsApp offers payments to registered businesses in Brazil, but Menuthere takes payment on your own checkout through Stripe instead. The money goes straight to your Stripe account.
Is WhatsApp ordering cheaper than iFood?
For your regulars, usually yes. On R$25,000 of monthly sales, iFood's Plano Entrega would cost about R$6,700. The same orders on WhatsApp cost R$87.50 in Meta fees, Stripe's card fees and the US$39 Pro plan.
Can I reply in Portuguese automatically?
Yes. You can edit the wording of every Menuthere flow and set a flow to answer any first message, such as Oi or Olá, with the Order Now button.
Sources (7)
- Reuters Institute, Digital News Report 2026: Brazil, published 16 June 2026: https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/digital-news-report/2026/brazil (accessed 19 Oct 2026)
- Meta for Developers, Pricing on the WhatsApp Business Platform (BRL card launched July 1, 2026; rates effective October 1, 2026): https://developers.facebook.com/docs/whatsapp/pricing (accessed 19 Oct 2026)
- Meta for Developers, Payments API – Brazil: https://developers.facebook.com/documentation/business-messaging/whatsapp/payments/payments-br/overview (accessed 19 Oct 2026)
- WhatsApp Help Center, Learn more about participating countries: https://faq.whatsapp.com/1293279751500598 (accessed 19 Oct 2026)
- Stripe, Brazil pricing: https://stripe.com/br/pricing (accessed 19 Oct 2026)
- Stripe Docs, Pix and Boleto: https://docs.stripe.com/payments/pix and https://docs.stripe.com/payments/boleto (accessed 19 Oct 2026)
- Menuthere commission pages for iFood, 99Food and Rappi Brazil (accessed 19 Oct 2026)