Restaurant reservation confirmation and reminder templates
Updated October 20, 2026
A table booking confirmation or reminder on WhatsApp is a utility template: it is about the customer's own reservation. Meta's own utility template samples include a reservation_confirmation for a restaurant ("You're all set! Your reservation for {{number_of_guests}}…"). It costs about US$0.0034 per message to a US number on Meta's rate card effective October 1, 2026, so a confirmation plus a same-day reminder costs under a cent per booking. In Menuthere a table booking is placed as an order, so the Order placed flow confirms it. The reminder is not automatic: Menuthere reminds you an hour before, and you send the guest's reminder from the inbox.
In short
- Category: Utility for confirmations, reminders and pre-order details. Add "try our new tasting menu" and it becomes marketing.
- Plans: table booking and pre-orders start on Lite; WhatsApp flows and templates are on Pro.
- Reminders: you get a push notification 1 hour before each booking and again when the slot starts. Use the first one as your cue to send the guest's reminder.
- In the US, WhatsApp can send order updates but not promotions; use email for offers.
Three booking and pre-order wordings
{{booking_date}}, {{booking_time}} and {{party_size}} are what the guest picked at checkout; type them from the booking when you send a reminder from the inbox.
1. Booking confirmed
Header: Table booked
Hi {{customer_name}}, your table for {{party_size}} at {{store_name}} is booked for {{booking_date}} at {{booking_time}}. Reply to this message if your plans change.2. Same-day reminder
Reminder: your table at {{store_name}} is booked for today at {{booking_time}}, {{customer_name}}. We're holding it for {{party_size}} guests. Reply to this message if you're running late.3. Pre-order reminder
Hi {{customer_name}}, your pre-order #{{order_id}} at {{store_name}} is scheduled for {{booking_date}} at {{booking_time}}. Tap View order to check the details.
Button: View orderThe template to submit to Meta
Wording 2 (same-day reminder), ready to paste. You send it from the inbox, so you fill the values by hand:
Name: reservation_confirmation_reminder
Category: Utility
Language: en_US
Body:
Reminder: your table at {{1}} is booked for today at {{2}}, {{3}}. We're holding it for {{4}} guests. Reply to this message if you're running late.
Body examples:
{{1}} = Luna Taqueria
{{2}} = 7:30 PM
{{3}} = Maria
{{4}} = 4What Menuthere does with a booking
| Step | What happens |
|---|---|
| Guest books | Dine-in shows as Book a table on your menu; the guest picks a date, a slot and how many people |
| Booking placed | It is an order, so the Order placed flow (if on) confirms it on WhatsApp with a View Order button |
| Guest's order page | Shows a Table reservation with the date, time and number of people |
| 1 hour before | You get a push notification, such as "Table booking in 1 hour" |
| At the slot | A second push notification |
| Guest reminder | Not automatic: send wording 2 from Sales channel → WhatsApp → Inbox |
On the Free plan the Dine-in booking option is not offered, though guests can still order from a table QR. Setup: table booking and reservations.
What it costs per send
| Customer's number | Utility rate per message | Per 1,000 sends |
|---|---|---|
| United States and Canada | US$0.0034 | US$3.40 |
| United Kingdom | US$0.022 | US$22.00 |
| India | US$0.0014 | US$1.40 |
| Brazil | US$0.0068 | US$6.80 |
| United Arab Emirates | US$0.0157 | US$15.70 |
Meta's USD rate card effective October 1, 2026, read on October 20, 2026. Meta bills your own WhatsApp Business account; Menuthere adds no markup. Check any other country in the WhatsApp cost calculator.
Worked example: a Dallas restaurant with 160 bookings a month
Every booking gets the automatic confirmation; the host sends a same-day reminder when the 1-hour push arrives.
| Message | Sends a month | US numbers | UK numbers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Booking confirmed (Order placed flow) | 160 | 160 × US$0.0034 = US$0.54 | 160 × US$0.022 = US$3.52 |
| Same-day reminder (from the inbox) | 160 | US$0.54 | US$3.52 |
| Guests replying "running 10 min late" | about 30 | US$0: guests' messages are free | US$0 |
| Meta fees | 320 sent | US$1.09 | US$7.04 |
A guest's reply also reopens the 24-hour window, so your answer to "can we add one more person?" is a normal chat message. Related: when should I send a table booking reminder on WhatsApp and can customers book a table on WhatsApp.
FAQs
Is a reservation confirmation a utility template on WhatsApp?
Yes. It is about the guest's own booking, and Meta's own utility template samples include a restaurant reservation confirmation. Adding a promotion to it makes it marketing.
Does Menuthere send booking reminders to guests automatically?
No. Menuthere sends you a push notification one hour before each booking and again at the slot. You send the guest's reminder from the WhatsApp inbox, with a template if the 24-hour window has closed.
How do guests book a table on Menuthere?
Switch on Dine-in and prebooking. Guests choose Book a table on your menu and pick a date, a slot and how many people. Table booking starts on the Lite plan.
How much does a WhatsApp booking reminder cost?
About US$0.0034 to a US or Canadian number and US$0.022 to a UK number as a utility template, on Meta's USD rate card effective October 1, 2026.
Sources (6)
- Meta for Developers, Utility templates (sample
reservation_confirmation: "You're all set! Your reservation for {{number_of_guests}} at Lucky Shrub Eatery on {{day}}…"; "Utility templates are typically sent in response to a user action or request"): https://developers.facebook.com/documentation/business-messaging/whatsapp/templates/utility-templates/utility-templates (accessed 20 Oct 2026) - Meta for Developers, Template categorization (utility = non-promotional and specific to or requested by the user; mixed content = marketing; examples by category; utility submitted but judged marketing is approved as marketing since April 9, 2025): https://developers.facebook.com/documentation/business-messaging/whatsapp/templates/template-categorization (accessed 20 Oct 2026; the page shows no date)
- Meta for Developers, Template components (text header 60 characters and 1 parameter; body 1,024; footer 60; up to 10 buttons; URL buttons up to 2, label 25, one variable appended to the end of the URL): https://developers.facebook.com/documentation/business-messaging/whatsapp/templates/components (accessed 20 Oct 2026)
- Meta for Developers, Template review (rejection reasons: mismatched braces, non-sequential parameters, too many parameters for the length, template starts or ends with a parameter, duplicates; decisions can take up to 24 hours): https://developers.facebook.com/documentation/business-messaging/whatsapp/templates/template-review (accessed 20 Oct 2026)
- Meta for Developers, Pricing on the WhatsApp Business Platform (per delivered message, by category and the recipient's country calling code; utility in the customer service window billed as regular from October 1, 2026; 1,000 free service messages per business number per month): https://developers.facebook.com/documentation/business-messaging/whatsapp/pricing (accessed 20 Oct 2026)
- Meta for Developers, Per-user marketing template message limits ("WhatsApp does not currently deliver marketing template messages to WhatsApp users with United States phone numbers", defined as +1 with a US area code): https://developers.facebook.com/documentation/business-messaging/whatsapp/templates/marketing-templates/per-user-limits (accessed 20 Oct 2026)