"Do my customers need an app?" "What if the order comes through wrong?" "Is there a catch?"
Those tend to be the first questions anyone asks before trying WhatsApp ordering for their business. They're fair ones, too. This WhatsApp ordering FAQ gives 25 short answers, brief enough to read between customers, and a link to WhatsApp itself if you'd like to see the app first.
WhatsApp ordering FAQ: the basics
1. What is WhatsApp ordering? Customers pick, customise, and pay in a WhatsApp chat, and your team gets a finished order.
2. What is AskKay? An AI built to take orders and secure payments on WhatsApp for your business. Think of it as your virtual waiter. AskKay Explained: What It Is and the Vision Behind WhatsApp Ordering has the full story.
3. How do customers start an order? They scan a QR code or message your business's own WhatsApp number, and a chat opens.
4. Do customers need to download an app? No. They use WhatsApp, which they already have.
5. Do customers need to create an account? No.
6. Will customers actually use it? WhatsApp passed 3 billion monthly users (TechCrunch, 2025), and Ofcom puts UK online adult use at 90% in May 2025 (Ofcom Online Nation, 2025).
For your customers
7. Can customers pay from the chat? Yes, by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay where available.
8. Is payment secure? Customers pay securely from the chat itself, so nobody gets sent off to another site.
9. Can customers change things or add extras? Yes. Choices, extras and add-ons are handled in the conversation.
10. Does AskKay suggest extras? Yes. It offers a side or an extra at the right moment, which is how baskets grow.
11. Can customers reorder? Yes, with a single message.
12. How do customers know when an order is ready? They get a WhatsApp message.
13. What about other languages? WhatsApp shows your menu in whatever language the customer uses on their phone.
For your team
14. What does my team receive? A finished order showing exactly what the customer chose.
15. Can it cope with a rush? Yes. AskKay can handle up to 80 orders at once, so a rush doesn't need extra hands.
16. Who sets up my menu? The team uploads your menu and sets up your WhatsApp number. You review it and go live.
17. Do I need technical skills? No. You review what the team sets up and go live.
18. Is there a setup fee, subscription or contract? No setup fee, no subscription and no contract. Pay for a number, and pay for your agent, and pay for your card processing fees that simple
19. Does it replace what I already use? No. It adds a WhatsApp way to order alongside what you already have.
Fit and next steps
20. Which businesses is it for? Cafés, restaurants, bars and pubs, hotels, stadiums, festivals and events, gyms and leisure, office canteens, airports, and market stalls and pop-ups. You can see them in the full list of business types.
21. Can customers ask about allergens? Allergen information is part of the ordering flow for restaurants, but accuracy stays your responsibility.
22. Can I see it before I decide? Yes. You can tap through the AskKay demo on your own phone.
23. How do I know if it's right for me? Ask whether your busiest hour has a queue and whether customers would order ahead. Is WhatsApp Ordering Right for You? 5 Questions Before You Start, Including When to Say No walks through 5 questions.
24. Where should I put the QR code? Wherever customers are already waiting or deciding.
25. How do I get started? Select Get Started, share a few details about your business and the team will contact you.
Why you need it
- Extra sets of hands. AskKay can handle up to 80 orders at once, so nobody has to wait for a free moment.
- Always on. Customers can order whenever they're ready.
- Bigger baskets. Add-ons are suggested in every conversation.
- Fewer lost sales. People who'd give up on a queue can still order.
- No download. Nothing new for customers to learn.
- Orders arrive complete. What the customer chose is what your team sees.
Getting started is simple
The team uploads your menu and sets up your WhatsApp number. You review it, check it looks right and go live. There's no setup fee, no subscription and no contract. You pay for your WhatsApp number, your AskKay agent and card processing fees, and that's it.