Win-back ("we miss you") WhatsApp templates for restaurants
Updated October 20, 2026
A win-back ("we miss you") WhatsApp message is a marketing template: it invites a past customer to order again. It costs about US$0.0635 per message to a UK number and US$0.025 to a Canadian number on Meta's rate card effective October 1, 2026, and Meta does not deliver it to US numbers. Because every send is a marketing send, the rules that matter are who you send it to and how often. Menuthere's Comeback messages handle both: they message only customer groups you switch on, at most twice per customer ever, 60 days apart, and never anyone quiet for more than 180 days.
In short
- Category: Marketing, with or without an offer in it.
- US customers: not reachable with this template. In the US, WhatsApp can send order updates but not promotions; use email for offers.
- Canada: Meta's block names US area codes only; Canadian +1 numbers receive marketing templates at the North America rate.
- In Menuthere: Comeback messages send your approved marketing template to groups such as Lapsed or At risk, automatically, between 11 am and 8 pm store time.
Three win-back wordings
{{offer}} and {{valid_until}} are fixed values you choose per campaign. The menu button links to your store, so it has no variable.
1. No offer
Hi {{customer_name}}, it's been a while since your last order at {{store_name}}. We'd love to cook for you again. Tap below to see this week's menu.
Footer: Reply STOP to unsubscribe
Button: See the menu2. With an offer
Hi {{customer_name}}, we miss you at {{store_name}}. Here's {{offer}} on your next order, valid until {{valid_until}}. Tap below to order.
Footer: Reply STOP to unsubscribe
Button: Order now3. New dishes
Hi {{customer_name}}, {{store_name}} has new dishes on the menu since your last visit. Take a look and order when you're hungry.
Footer: Reply STOP to unsubscribe
Button: See what's newThe template to submit to Meta
Wording 2 (with an offer), ready to paste:
Name: win_back_offer
Category: Marketing
Language: en_US
Body:
Hi {{1}}, we miss you at {{2}}. Here's {{3}} on your next order, valid until {{4}}. Tap below to order.
Body examples:
{{1}} = Maria
{{2}} = Luna Taqueria
{{3}} = 15% off all tacos
{{4}} = Sunday, November 8
Footer: Reply STOP to unsubscribe
Button (visit website): Order now → https://menuthere.com/lunataqueriaMenuthere's comeback rules
| Rule | Setting |
|---|---|
| Template | An approved Marketing template; Write my comeback message creates one |
| Who | Only the groups you switch on under Who to chase: VIPs, Regulars, At risk, Lapsed, One-and-done |
| When a customer counts as quiet | Your days quiet, or leave it empty and each customer's own ordering rhythm decides (in practice 21 to 75 days) |
| Per customer | At most 2 comeback messages ever, never within 60 days of each other |
| Never messaged | Anyone quiet for more than 180 days, anyone who replied STOP or is blocked |
| Sending hours | 11 am to 8 pm store time, at least 7 days between batches |
| Share of your daily limit | At most about a third, so order updates are never crowded out |
| Results | Past batches shows how many were messaged and how many came back |
Batches go out automatically once the switch is on; there is no per-batch approval. Switch a group off to stop messaging it. Setup: comeback messages.
What it costs per send
| Customer's number | Marketing rate per message | Per 100 sends |
|---|---|---|
| United States (+1, US area code) | Not delivered by Meta | US$0 (nothing is sent) |
| Canada (+1, Canadian area code) | US$0.025 | US$2.50 |
| United Kingdom | US$0.0635 | US$6.35 |
| India | US$0.0118 | US$1.18 |
| Brazil | US$0.0625 | US$6.25 |
| United Arab Emirates | US$0.0576 | US$5.76 |
Meta's USD rate card effective October 1, 2026, read on October 20, 2026 (Canada is priced under North America). Meta charges per delivered message and bills your own WhatsApp Business account; Menuthere adds no markup.
Worked example: 400 lapsed customers at a London curry house
The restaurant switches on the Lapsed group (400 customers) with wording 2, "15% off your next order". The rules cap the campaign at two messages per customer, 60 days apart.
| Round | Sent | Meta fee (UK, US$0.0635) |
|---|---|---|
| First comeback message | 400 | US$25.40 |
| Second, 60+ days later, to those who still haven't ordered (say 320) | 320 | US$20.32 |
| Whole campaign, maximum | 720 | US$45.72 |
| Same campaign from a Toronto restaurant (Canada, US$0.025) | 720 | US$18.00 |
| Same campaign from a Chicago restaurant (US numbers) | 0 delivered | US$0: use email instead |
How many come back is shown in Past batches; we don't quote a typical rate because we haven't measured one. Related: how often can a restaurant send offers on WhatsApp and can WhatsApp limit how many offers one customer gets.
FAQs
Is a we miss you WhatsApp message a marketing template?
Yes. Inviting a past customer to order again is promotional, so Meta files it as marketing whether or not it includes an offer.
Can I send win-back messages on WhatsApp to US customers?
No. Meta does not deliver marketing templates to US phone numbers. In the US, WhatsApp can send order updates but not promotions; use email for offers.
Do Canadian numbers receive WhatsApp marketing templates?
Yes. Meta's block covers +1 numbers with a US area code. Canadian numbers are priced with the US under North America, at about US$0.025 per marketing message from October 1, 2026.
How often does Menuthere send comeback messages to one customer?
At most twice ever, never within 60 days of each other, and never after 180 days of silence. Messages go between 11 am and 8 pm store time.
Can I approve each comeback batch before it is sent?
No. Once Comeback messages are switched on, batches go out automatically to the groups you chose. Switch a group off to stop messaging it.
Sources (6)
- WhatsApp Business Messaging Policy (opt-in before messaging; respect every opt-out; best practice: separate opt-in by message category), last updated September 23, 2026: https://whatsappbusiness.com/policy/ (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)