Guide · 9 min read

WhatsApp for business: what customers in Singapore expect, and what the rules say

WhatsApp business tips usually start with tools. Customers in Singapore care about something simpler: a quick, clear answer from a number they recognise, prices they don't have to ask for, and no messages they didn't sign up for. Get those right and WhatsApp becomes the easiest way to sell. Get them wrong and one unwanted promotion can turn into a complaint under the PDPA's Do Not Call rules.

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Below: replies, catalogues, the consent rules PDPC applies to promotions, when to move bookings off the chat and onto a link, and how AQUORIA O.N.E fits alongside your chats.

What customers expect when they message you

  • A reply the same day, ideally within the hour during opening hours, or an automatic message saying when you'll answer.
  • A business profile that answers the basics: what you do, your address or service area, opening hours and a link.
  • Prices without having to ask. 'PM for price' loses people who are comparing three shops.
  • Answers in writing they can scroll back to. Voice notes suit regulars, but a new customer wants the price and date in text.
  • One number for the business, the same one on your shopfront, social media and receipts.

Use the WhatsApp Business app's own tools

The free WhatsApp Business app has tools many shops never set up. WhatsApp's help pages describe:

  • Greeting message: sent automatically to someone messaging you for the first time, or after 14 days without a chat.
  • Away message: sent when you're closed or busy, on a schedule such as outside business hours.
  • Quick replies: up to 50 saved answers, called up by typing '/' in a chat.
  • Catalogue: your products or services with photos and prices, which customers can browse and share.

Auto-reply samples you can adapt

  • Greeting: 'Hi, thanks for messaging Rosewood Nails! Prices and free slots are here: [your link]. For anything else, reply here and we'll answer within the hour, 10am to 7pm.'
  • Away: 'Thanks for your message. We're closed now and open again at 10am. To book tonight, use [your link]; we'll reply to everything else in the morning.'
  • Busy: 'We're with customers right now and will reply within 2 hours. If it's about an order, please include your order number.'

Promotions: what the PDPA and the DNC rules mean

Sending offers on WhatsApp is marketing, and two sets of rules apply. Under the PDPA, you need a person's consent to use their personal data for marketing, you must tell them the purpose, and they can withdraw consent at any time. PDPC also says you shouldn't refuse a sale just because someone won't agree to marketing. Separately, PDPC applies the Do Not Call rules to messages sent to Singapore numbers, including on WhatsApp and Telegram, whenever one purpose is to advertise or promote your goods or services.

Before sending such a message to a Singapore number, you must check it isn't on the DNC Register, unless the person gave clear and unambiguous consent that you can show later. There's an exemption for customers with an ongoing relationship with you, for messages about the same products or services, if each message carries a clear English statement that they can opt out; a one-off purchase isn't enough. Each message must also say who it's from and how to contact you. In practice:

  • Ask for marketing consent separately from the order, with an unticked box, and keep a record of when it was given.
  • Say what they'll get and how often: 'Offers and new arrivals, about twice a month.'
  • End every promotion with how to stop, such as 'Reply STOP to stop offers', and act on it straight away. PDPC gives businesses 21 days to stop after an opt-out; don't use all of it.
  • Order updates, booking reminders and answers to questions aren't promotions, so don't slip offers into them.
  • Never add customers to a group chat to market to them: everyone sees everyone's number.

Service messages and the 24-hour window

If you send through software connected to Meta's business platform, one more rule applies. Meta's documentation says a customer's message opens a 24-hour customer service window, in which you can reply freely; outside it, you can only send pre-approved templates, such as an order update or a marketing message. So answer chats within the day, and expect reminders and offers to go out in fixed wording.

When to move bookings and orders off the chat

Chat is good for questions, special requests and problems. It's poor at keeping records. Move a booking or order onto a link when:

  • It takes more than three messages to agree one booking time or one order.
  • You're copying details from chats into a notebook or spreadsheet.
  • You've double-booked, or missed an order buried under newer chats.
  • Customers send payment screenshots that you match to orders by hand.
  • Staff need to see the same orders and bookings as you.

What a link does that a chat can't

A link shows your items, prices and free times, takes the customer's details once and asks for payment, so the chat stays for the human part. Send it with a friendly line: 'You can pick a time and pay the deposit here: [link]. Any questions, just reply.'

How AQUORIA O.N.E works with WhatsApp

Your shop link is the link to send: put it in your greeting and away messages, your profile and your replies, so customers order, book or see your prices there and pay by PayNow QR. You keep chatting from the WhatsApp Business app on your phone exactly as before.

If you switch on 'Customers send their order or booking to my WhatsApp', customers get a button after ordering or booking that opens WhatsApp with the details written, addressed to your shop. They press send, it costs them nothing, and every order lands in your chats.

Messages the app writes for you, such as order received, ready to collect or a booking reminder, go out by the SMS account or email mailbox you connect under Message channels, in your shop's name. AQUORIA O.N.E doesn't send WhatsApp messages for you: until you connect SMS or email, each message waits on the Messages page with a Send on WhatsApp button that opens WhatsApp on your phone with the text filled in, for you to send.

Promotions go only to customers who agreed: they tick 'Send me promotions (optional)' on your shop link and can turn it off later. Festive and birthday greetings, and the marketing tools on Business, go only to those customers. The Singapore privacy notice the app gives you says you check the DNC Register before marketing messages unless the customer clearly agreed, so if you import customers as OK to send offers, include only people who really did.

How it works

  1. 1Set up your WhatsApp Business profile, greeting and away messages, and quick replies.
  2. 2Share your shop link so customers order, book and pay without long chats.
  3. 3Connect your own SMS or email under Message channels for order updates and reminders, or send each one from WhatsApp on your phone with one tap.
  4. 4Turn on the button that lets customers send their order or booking to your WhatsApp.
  5. 5Send offers only to customers who agreed, and act on every STOP.

What you'll use

Plan: Essential or Business

Sources

Published 4 November 2026

Questions

How quickly should a business reply on WhatsApp?

Customers expect an answer the same day, and most will wait an hour or so during opening hours if they know when you'll reply. Set an away message for evenings and busy times saying when you'll answer, and put your order or booking link in it, so people can go ahead without waiting for you.

Can I send promotions to customers on WhatsApp in Singapore?

Yes, with care. PDPC applies the Do Not Call rules to marketing messages sent to Singapore numbers on WhatsApp. Check the DNC Register unless the customer gave clear and unambiguous consent, say who you are and how to opt out, and stop promptly when asked. Ask for marketing consent separately from the sale.

Do I need to check the DNC Register before sending WhatsApp messages?

For marketing messages to Singapore numbers, yes, unless the person gave clear and unambiguous consent you can show, or an exemption applies, such as an ongoing relationship with an English opt-out statement in each message. Order updates, booking reminders and replies to a customer's question aren't marketing, as long as you don't add offers to them.

How do I set up an auto reply on WhatsApp Business?

In the WhatsApp Business app, open the Tools tab and choose Away message to reply when you're closed or busy, on a schedule such as outside business hours. A greeting message goes to people messaging you for the first time or after 14 days. Quick replies save answers you send often; type '/' in a chat to use one.

Is a WhatsApp chatbot worth it for a shop?

It helps when the same questions arrive at all hours: prices, opening times, location, whether an order is ready. A good assistant answers those, sends your booking or order link, says it's an assistant and hands anything tricky to a person. AQUORIA O.N.E doesn't answer WhatsApp chats for you; an away message with your shop link, where prices and free times are listed, covers most of those questions.

When should I move bookings off WhatsApp?

When one booking takes several messages, when you copy chat details into a notebook, or when you've double-booked or lost an order in a busy chat. A booking or order link takes the details and payment once and keeps them in one place, leaving the chat for questions and special requests.

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