Industries Book a Call ↗
Home / WhatsApp booking system
Answered plainly

WhatsApp auto reply, bot or chatbot: what actually books the customer

A customer asks "still have slot Saturday?" at 11pm. Your away message says you're closed. By morning she's booked somewhere else. Here's what the free WhatsApp tools can do, what the paid route costs, and how to get a reply that answers her and books the slot.

Book a 20-minute call ↗Team of 1 to 5? Check if you qualify for a Booked. scholarship
01 / WhatsApp booking system

What the free WhatsApp Business app does on its own

WhatsApp Business is free to download. These are the tools it gives you.

01Greeting messageSends itself the first time someone messages you, and again after 14 days of quiet. You pick who gets it.
02Away messageSends itself while you're away: all the time, on a schedule you set, or outside the business hours in your profile.
03Quick repliesUp to 50 saved answers. Type "/" in a chat to pull one up. You still pick it and press send.
04ListsFilters that sort your chats into groups, so new enquiries don't get buried under old ones.
05CatalogueYour products or services on your profile, each with a photo. Prices can be added in some countries.
What none of them do: read what the customer asked. A greeting and an away message send the same text to everyone. So "how much for a cut and colour, and any slot tomorrow?" gets "Thanks, we'll reply soon." Then she asks the next business. WhatsApp is also testing its own AI replies inside the app for select businesses in a few countries. Turning them on switches off your greeting and away messages, and Meta may use those chats to improve its AI.
Sources

WhatsApp Help Center, "About WhatsApp Business", "How to use greeting messages", "How to use away messages", "How to use quick replies", "How to use lists", "About catalog", "About using Meta Business Agent to chat with customers", all read 28 Oct 2026.

02 / WhatsApp booking system

What the WhatsApp Business API is, and how Meta prices it

When a business outgrows the app, the next step is the WhatsApp Business Platform, often called the API. It lets software send and answer messages on your number. You don't log in to it like an app. A provider connects it for you, and Meta bills per message.

01Per message, by typeSince 1 July 2025 Meta charges per message delivered, not per conversation. The price depends on the message type and the customer's country.
02Four types you'll meetMarketing (promotions), utility (order or booking updates), authentication (one-time codes) and service (your replies to a customer who wrote in).
03Customers write to you for freeMeta doesn't charge for messages a customer sends you.
04Replies have a 24-hour windowOnce a customer writes, you can reply freely for 24 hours. After that you can only send an approved template.
05Service replies now have a free tierFrom 1 October 2026, each business number gets 1,000 free service messages a month. Meta charges from the 1,001st.
06Ads that open WhatsApp get a free windowWhen someone messages you from an ad that clicks to WhatsApp and you reply in time, Meta doesn't charge for your messages for a set period.
What this means for your bill: Meta's message fees come on top of whatever the provider charges. Rates change, with a month's notice on the rate card. Check Meta's developer pricing page, and its date, before you budget.
Sources

Meta for Developers, "Pricing on the WhatsApp Business Platform", updated 30 Sep 2026 (developers.facebook.com/documentation/business-messaging/whatsapp/pricing); WhatsApp Business Platform pricing (business.whatsapp.com/products/platform-pricing). Both read 28 Oct 2026.

03 / WhatsApp booking system

A bot that follows a script vs a reply that reads the message

Most "WhatsApp bots" are menus. Press 1 for prices, press 2 to book. That works for a parcel tracker. It breaks the moment a real customer writes the way people actually write.

Still have slot Saturday? How much?A voice note asking about the priceA photo: "can you do this?""Bit expensive, any promo?"Can I move to 4pm instead?Two questions in one message
A menu bot answers the button that was pressed. Anything else gets "Sorry, I didn't understand." A trained reply reads the whole message, listens to the voice note, looks at the photo and answers with your real prices and open slots. Then it asks for the booking. People in Singapore would rather WhatsApp a person than fill in a form, so the reply has to feel like one.
04 / WhatsApp booking system

Three ways to answer WhatsApp when you can't

An honest side by side. Each one suits a different business.

01The free app's auto replyGood for: telling people you're closed and when you'll be back. Costs: nothing. Leaves you: answering every real question yourself, in the morning, after some have gone elsewhere.
02A chatbot builder you set up yourselfGood for: simple, repeat questions with fixed answers. Costs: a monthly tool fee, Meta's message fees, and your time to write and fix the flows. Leaves you: every question you didn't plan for, and the follow-up on the ones who go quiet.
03Done for youGood for: businesses that sell in the chat and lose bookings after hours. Costs: a monthly fee, plus message usage. Leaves you: only the chats that need you, with the full conversation attached.
Free diagnosticWhere am I leaking revenue?Missed calls, reviews nobody asked for, a slow mobile site, a map listing that doesn't show. Checked for you.Run the leak diagnostic ↗30 seconds. No call.
05 / WhatsApp booking system

The rules for messaging customers on WhatsApp

Answering someone who wrote to you is the easy part. Messaging people first is where the rules start.

You can
✓Reply to anyone who messaged youIn Singapore, a message sent only to answer someone's request for information isn't treated as a marketing message under the Do Not Call rules.
✓Confirm a booking they madeMessages whose only purpose is to confirm a transaction the customer agreed to are generally outside the Do Not Call rules.
✓Use automation in the 24-hour windowAs long as there's a quick, clear way to reach a person.
You can't
✕Send promotions to a Singapore number without checkingThe Do Not Call rules cover WhatsApp. You need to check the DNC Register or have clear consent you can show.
✕Start a chat on the API without opt-inMeta's policy says you need the person's number and their permission to message them, and you must start with an approved template.
✕Ignore a "stop"Meta requires you to respect every request to opt out, on or off WhatsApp.
Sources

PDPC, Advisory Guidelines on the Do Not Call Provisions (revised 1 February 2021), "Responding to requests for information about a good or service", the Eighth Schedule exclusions, and the section on Singapore telephone numbers; WhatsApp Business Messaging Policy, last updated 23 Sep 2026 (business.whatsapp.com/policy). This is a summary, not legal advice.

06 / WhatsApp booking system

How we do it

Booked.: Every WhatsApp answered and booked, day or night

See Booked ↗

Booked. is the done-for-you option. It's trained on your offers and the way you sell, not just your website.

Replies in seconds, day or nightOn WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook and your website, seven days a week.
Reads photos, listens to voice notesIt answers what the customer actually sent.
Books inside the chatIt offers the open slots, takes the name and confirms. No link, no form.
Gets you paid in the chatWhen they say yes, the payment link or deposit request goes out right there.
Instagram comments become DMs"Price?" on a post gets a message back and a booking.
Catches the click-to-WhatsApp ad leadAnswers it, books it, and shows which ad brought the booking.
One message every morningWhat came in overnight, what got booked, what needs you today.
Hands over to a personIf someone asks, it says it's your booking assistant and offers to pass them to you. Complaints and anything outside its brief come to you with the full chat.
It uses the WhatsApp number your customers already have saved. Nothing new for them to download.
07 / WhatsApp booking system

How it starts

  1. 1
    On the callWe look at your chatsHow enquiries come in today, and where they slip after hours.
  2. 2
    Within daysBooked. goes liveSet up from your website and price list, then trained on how you sell.
  3. 3
    Week oneYou fine-tune itRead the first week of conversations and tell us what to change.
Book a 20-minute call ↗Team of 1 to 5? Check if you qualify for a Booked. scholarship
08 / WhatsApp booking system

Read next

09 / FAQ

Questions people ask

Is WhatsApp Business free?

+

Yes, the WhatsApp Business app is free to download on Android and iPhone. The WhatsApp Business Platform (the API) is different: Meta charges per message, and most businesses also pay a provider to connect it.

How do I set an auto reply on WhatsApp Business?

+

Open the Tools tab and tap Away message, turn it on, write your text and pick a schedule. For a first-time welcome, use Greeting message in the same tab. Your phone needs to be online for either to send.

What's the difference between a WhatsApp bot and a WhatsApp chatbot?

+

Usually nothing: people use both words for software that answers WhatsApp for you. What matters is whether it follows a fixed menu or reads the real message and answers it.

How much does the WhatsApp Business API cost?

+

Meta charges per message, and the price depends on the message type and the customer's country. Since 1 October 2026 each business number gets 1,000 free service replies a month. Rates are on Meta's pricing page; provider fees come on top.

Can I use my existing WhatsApp number?

+

Yes. Booked. connects the number your customers already have saved. If you'd rather keep a separate line for the business, we set one up. We go through what changes on your phone during the call.

Is it legal to message customers on WhatsApp in Singapore?

+

Replying to someone who messaged you is fine. Sending promotions to a Singapore number falls under the PDPC's Do Not Call rules, which cover WhatsApp, so you need consent or a check against the DNC Register first. This is a summary, not legal advice.

Will my customers think they're talking to a bot?

+

It replies in your tone, uses their name and answers the actual question. If someone asks, it says it's your booking assistant and offers to pass them to a person.

Is there an AI chatbot in Singapore that can take bookings on WhatsApp?

+

Yes. Booked. answers WhatsApp enquiries for Singapore businesses in seconds, books the slot inside the chat and sends the deposit request. What you're paying for is the booking, so judge any option on how many chats it turns into appointments.

What does it cost?

+

Booked. is S$997 a month, month to month. Teams of one to five people can check if they qualify for a scholarship. Message usage is on top, and we go through a typical month with you on the call.

Won't WhatsApp's own AI do this for free?

+

Maybe one day, for some businesses. Right now WhatsApp's AI replies are in a few countries for select businesses, they switch off your greeting and away messages, and Meta may use those chats to improve its AI. Booked. is trained on your prices and objections, follows up the quiet ones and books into your calendar.

10 / Start free

Not ready for a call? Start free.

No call, no card. Each one runs on your real business.

01Where am I leaking revenue?Missed calls, reviews nobody asked for, a slow mobile site, a map listing that doesn't show. Checked for you.Run the leak diagnostic ↗30 seconds. No call.02Who does AI recommend instead of you?The questions your customers ask ChatGPT, Gemini and Google, run live. Every competitor named, and where you go missing.Get my free audit ↗One-minute form. Delivered within two working days.03Who's beating me, and why?You against your three toughest competitors on 90 days of live data, with a 30/60/90 plan.Run the competitor matchup ↗Two minutes.
11 / Fit

Is this for you?

✓

Who it's for

  • Businesses that get enquiries on WhatsApp and lose some after hours or while busy with a customer
  • Owners who've tried the away message and still wake up to unanswered questions
  • Anyone running ads that open a WhatsApp chat
  • Teams who want the booking or deposit done in the chat, not "call us to book"
✕

Who it's not for

  • Businesses that only want a "we're closed" message (the free app does that well)
  • Anyone looking to blast promotions to numbers that never opted in
Book a 20-minute call ↗Team of 1 to 5? Check if you qualify for a Booked. scholarship