WhatsApp ordering for restaurants in Singapore
Updated October 19, 2026
Singapore is one of the most WhatsApp-heavy markets in the world, so it's a natural ordering channel for hawkers, cafés and cloud kitchens. In the Reuters Institute's Digital News Report 2026, 91% of Singapore respondents said they used WhatsApp in the past week. With Menuthere, customers order from your own WhatsApp number: they send "Hi", tap Order Now, and pay by PayNow or card into your own Stripe account. Meta's SGD card, effective October 1, 2026, charges S$0.0205 for every order update to a Singapore number; only the reply to "Hi" falls in Meta's 1,000 free service messages.
In short
- Orders in the chat app people already use, on your own number, through the official WhatsApp Business Platform.
- PayNow and cards through your own Stripe account on Lite and up; Menuthere takes 0% commission.
- Meta bills you directly, in SGD if you choose it, with no markup from Menuthere.
- WhatsApp ordering is on Pro (US$39 a month), with several outlets, loyalty and your own riders.
WhatsApp in Singapore
The Digital News Report 2026 (Reuters Institute, online survey by YouGov, published June 2026) lists the networks Singapore respondents used in the past week:
| Network | Used for any purpose | Used for news |
|---|---|---|
| 91% | 40% | |
| YouTube | 76% | 35% |
| 62% | 38% | |
| 61% | 29% | |
| TikTok | 45% | 22% |
| Telegram | 45% | 17% |
WhatsApp tops both columns. For a restaurant that means a customer is far more likely to message you on WhatsApp than to download your app.
Meta's SGD rate card for Singapore numbers
Meta added a Singapore dollar card on April 1, 2026. The current file is "Cost per message in SGD on the WhatsApp Business Platform, effective October 1, 2026".
| Category | SGD card | USD card |
|---|---|---|
| Marketing | S$0.0937 | US$0.0732 |
| Utility | S$0.0205 | US$0.016 |
| Service | S$0.0205 | US$0.016 |
- Prices follow the customer's number. A tourist with a Malaysian (+60) number is charged on Malaysia's row, which is S$0.0179 per update and S$0.1101 per marketing message on the SGD card.
- Order updates are utility templates and always billed. Only the reply to "Hi" is a service message, and the first 1,000 of those each month are free per business number. See are replies to customers free.
- Marketing is about 4.6 times an update in Singapore. Keep broadcasts for customers who asked for them.
PayNow and cards for WhatsApp orders
WhatsApp's own in-chat payments aren't available in Singapore; WhatsApp's Help Center lists India, Brazil, Mexico and Indonesia only. Payment happens on your Menuthere checkout instead, through your own Stripe account (Lite and up):
| Method | Stripe's standard Singapore price |
|---|---|
| Domestic cards | 3.4% + S$0.50 per successful transaction |
| PayNow | 1.3% per successful transfer |
| Apple Pay, Google Pay | Card pricing |
Menuthere's checkout shows the payment methods switched on in your Stripe account. Turn PayNow on in Stripe and test it with a small order first. Note that Apple Pay and Google Pay often don't appear inside WhatsApp's in-app browser; card entry still does. Cash and pay at pickup work on every plan. More: what are Stripe's fees in Singapore.
GrabFood, foodpanda and your own WhatsApp
| App | What our commission pages say |
|---|---|
| GrabFood | 30% service fee on every order, delivered or Self Pick-Up, plus 9% GST on the fee; S$100 activation fee for new outlets |
| foodpanda | Not published; public reports say about 25% to 35% |
Keep the apps for discovery. Put your WhatsApp QR on every bag so the second order comes to you. Background: what GrabFood charges restaurants in Singapore.
Worked example: a Tanjong Pagar café, 500 WhatsApp orders a month
Assumptions: 500 orders a month at S$30 (S$15,000), Singapore numbers only, SGD billing, the "Hi" reply plus four updates per order (placed, accepted, dispatched, completed).
| Line | Working | Monthly cost |
|---|---|---|
| "Hi" replies (service) | 500, inside the 1,000 free | S$0 |
| Order updates (utility) | 500 × 4 = 2,000 × S$0.0205 | S$41.00 |
| One broadcast | 800 opted-in customers × S$0.0937 | S$74.96 |
| Payments, if every order is by card | 3.4% of S$15,000 + 500 × S$0.50 | S$760 |
| Payments, if every order is by PayNow | 1.3% of S$15,000 | S$195 |
| Menuthere Pro | US$39 |
The same S$15,000 on GrabFood: 30% = S$4,500, plus 9% GST on the fee (S$405) = S$4,905.
Even with card fees and a broadcast, the WhatsApp channel costs a fraction of one app's commission on the same sales.
Notes for Singapore F&B
- GST: add your GST number and set items as tax-inclusive, so the menu shows the price customers pay.
- Nutri-Grade: if a drink needs a Nutri-Grade mark, add it to the item description.
- Languages: write your menu in English. The menu language button (Lite and up) can show it in Chinese or Tamil. Flow wording is yours to edit.
- Several outlets: Pro runs several outlets from one login, and each can use its own WhatsApp number. See can each outlet have its own WhatsApp number.
- Dine-in too: when a diner's message mentions their table, the Table order link flow replies with a link to order for that table. See can diners order from the table on WhatsApp.
- Your link: make a pre-filled "Hi" link with the WhatsApp link generator.
See also our Singapore online ordering system.
FAQs
How popular is WhatsApp in Singapore?
Very. In the Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2026, 91% of Singapore respondents said they had used WhatsApp in the past week, more than any other network in the survey.
What does WhatsApp charge per message in Singapore?
On Meta's SGD card effective October 1, 2026, a message to a Singapore number costs S$0.0937 for marketing and S$0.0205 for utility or service. Menuthere's order updates are utility templates and always billed; only the reply to Hi counts toward the 1,000 free service messages a month.
Can customers pay with PayNow for a WhatsApp order?
Yes, if you switch PayNow on in your own Stripe account. Customers order from the link in WhatsApp and pay on your Menuthere checkout. Stripe's standard PayNow price is 1.3% per transfer.
Is there commission on WhatsApp orders?
No. Menuthere takes 0% commission. You pay the Pro plan at US$39 a month, Stripe's own fees on online payments, and Meta's message fees on your own WhatsApp account.
Can I keep using GrabFood and foodpanda?
Yes. Many restaurants keep the apps to reach new customers and invite regulars to order on WhatsApp. Menuthere doesn't bring app orders into its dashboard, so you run both side by side.
Sources (6)
- Reuters Institute, Digital News Report 2026: Singapore (top social, messaging and video networks), published June 2026: https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/digital-news-report/2026/singapore (accessed 19 Oct 2026)
- Meta for Developers, Pricing on the WhatsApp Business Platform (SGD and USD list rates effective October 1, 2026): https://developers.facebook.com/docs/whatsapp/pricing (accessed 19 Oct 2026)
- WhatsApp Help Center, Learn more about participating countries: https://faq.whatsapp.com/1293279751500598 (accessed 19 Oct 2026)
- Stripe, Singapore pricing: https://stripe.com/sg/pricing (accessed 19 Oct 2026)
- Stripe Docs, PayNow payments: https://docs.stripe.com/payments/paynow (accessed 19 Oct 2026)
- Menuthere commission pages for GrabFood and foodpanda Singapore (accessed 19 Oct 2026)