WhatsApp chatbot for business: how it works, rules and pricing
A WhatsApp chatbot, or rather an AI assistant connected to your WhatsApp Business number, answers your customers at any hour from your own information: opening hours, prices, availability, terms. It takes booking requests, prepares quote requests and passes sensitive conversations to you. The free WhatsApp Business app is not enough for this: its automatic messages are fixed. You need Meta's WhatsApp Business Platform, which requires the customer's prior consent, a 24-hour window for free replies and approved templates beyond it. At Flows Studio, the assistant costs €400 to set up and €150 per month, support and updates included.
What a WhatsApp chatbot does for a small business
It reads incoming messages and answers from the information you give it. Being AI-based, it understands a question asked in the customer’s own words, not just keywords.
- Answer frequent questions: opening hours, address, parking, lead times, payment methods.
- Collect a booking request and send a reminder before the appointment.
- Prepare a quote request by asking the right questions, then send you a summary.
- Confirm a booking, an order or an appointment.
- Hand over to you for a complaint, a special case or an unhappy customer.
WhatsApp Business app or platform: what is the difference?
The WhatsApp Business app is free. It offers a business profile, quick replies, a greeting message and an away message. These messages are fixed: they do not understand a question and cannot handle a booking from start to finish.
Meta’s WhatsApp Business Platform (Cloud API) lets you connect an AI assistant to your number. Meta also lets you connect a number already used in the app to the platform while still replying from the app, with a few features limited.
Fees charged by Meta
On the platform, Meta has charged per message since 1 July 2025. Only billable template messages are charged; replies sent within the customer service window are free. Rates depend on the message category and the recipient’s country, and Meta can change them every quarter: check its pricing page before building a budget.
The rules to follow
- Consent: before messaging someone, the business needs their clear agreement, with its name clearly shown, and a simple way to opt out.
- The 24-hour window: when a customer writes to you, you can reply freely for 24 hours, and the clock restarts with each new message from them.
- Templates: once the window closes, only message templates approved in advance can be sent, such as an appointment reminder.
What about GDPR?
A WhatsApp assistant processes personal data: name, phone number, message content. GDPR applies, with a legal basis, clear information for your customers and a defined retention period. Our guide on AI agents and GDPR in Belgium details what to check.
Examples by industry
- Restaurant: a table for four on Saturday night, a vegetarian option, whether the terrace is open; the assistant answers and passes on the booking.
- Hotel: check-in time, parking, breakfast, access from the station, including at night.
- Tradespeople: the description of the job, the address and the customer’s availability, for a quote request ready to handle.
- Professional services: documents to bring, appointment terms, reminders; questions needing your expertise are passed to you.
- Local shops: opening hours, products, orders to collect, while you serve customers at the counter.
How to get started
- Request a free demo, built on your business, with an answer within 24 hours.
- A 30-minute brief: your frequent questions, your rules, your tone, and what the assistant never handles alone.
- Setup in 48 to 72 hours.
- Go-live within a day after your approval.
Is a WhatsApp chatbot free?
The WhatsApp Business app is free, but its automatic replies are limited to a greeting message, an away message and quick replies written in advance. They do not understand the customer’s question and cannot handle a booking. An AI assistant runs on Meta’s WhatsApp Business Platform. Meta charges for some template messages there, depending on their category and the recipient’s country, while replies sent within the customer service window are free. The provider then charges for its service. At Flows Studio, the WhatsApp assistant costs €400 to set up and €150 per month.
Can I keep my current number?
Yes. The Flows Studio assistant connects to your existing WhatsApp Business number or to a dedicated number, within 24 hours. Meta offers a mode that links a number already used in the WhatsApp Business app to the platform: you can keep replying yourself from the app whenever you want, and the assistant takes over the rest of the time. Some app features, such as broadcast lists, are then limited. If you prefer to keep things separate, a dedicated number remains possible. The choice is made during the brief, based on how your customers write to you today.
Can the chatbot message my customers first?
Yes, within Meta’s rules. The person must first have given clear consent to receive messages from your business, for example on your website, by text message or in person, and must be able to opt out easily. For 24 hours after their last message, the assistant can reply freely. Beyond that, only message templates approved in advance by Meta can be sent, such as an appointment reminder or an order confirmation. These templates are prepared with you during setup, so that every message sent is compliant and genuinely useful to the customer.
Agents covered on this page
Each page details the deployment, the pricing and a live demonstration.