WhatsApp Business for shops: how to use the catalogue, quick replies and labels

Half your orders already come in on WhatsApp. “Anna, is the 5 kg rice bag in stock?” “What time do you close today?” “Send the price of the steel tiffin box.” You answer the same questions twenty times a day, on your personal number, between customers at the counter. Some messages get lost under family chats.

The free WhatsApp Business app fixes most of this. This guide shows how to use WhatsApp Business in a shop: setting it up, the catalogue, quick replies, labels, greeting and away messages, using it on a computer, and when a business needs the paid API instead. Every feature and limit comes from WhatsApp’s own Help Center, checked on 18 October 2026.

WhatsApp Business vs normal WhatsApp

WhatsApp Business is a separate, free app on Android and iPhone. It looks and works like the WhatsApp you know, and adds tools for a business: a business profile (address, hours, email, website), a catalogue, automatic messages, quick replies and ways to sort chats.

Two things to know before you switch:

• One number, one app at a time. You can’t use the same number on WhatsApp Messenger and WhatsApp Business at the same time. Many shop owners keep their personal number on WhatsApp and put the shop’s number on WhatsApp Business.
• You can move between them. WhatsApp says a number can be moved from one app to the other; back up your chats before you switch.

The app runs on one phone and up to four linked devices, such as WhatsApp Web on the counter computer. Linked devices log out if the phone isn’t used for over 14 days, and broadcast lists and status still need the main phone.

Fill in every part of the business profile: category, address, hours, a short description. WhatsApp uses it to create ready-made quick replies for your address and hours.

How to set up a WhatsApp Business catalogue

The catalogue is your shop window inside WhatsApp. It shows on your business profile, and you can send any item in a chat instead of typing the price again.

1. Open the Tools tab and tap Catalog.
2. Tap Add new item, then add photos or videos: up to 10 per item, videos up to 50 MB.
3. Enter the product name and the country of origin (required).
4. Add the price, sale price, a short description, a website link or a product code if you like.
5. Tap Save.

WhatsApp reviews every item against its commerce rules before customers can see it. A rejected item shows a red mark; you can ask for another review. You can group items into collections (“Rice and dals”, “Festival gifts”) and share a link to the whole catalogue or one item on your status, Instagram or a printed QR code.

Take Anbu, who runs a provision store in Kallakurichi (our example). He adds his 40 fastest-moving items with clear photos and prices, in three collections. When a customer asks “What oils do you have?”, he sends the collection instead of typing a list.

Prices in the catalogue don’t update themselves. If your prices change often, add a line like “Prices as on 1 October; we confirm before billing” to the description, and refresh the catalogue every month.

Quick replies: answer common questions in two taps

A quick reply is a saved message you send with a shortcut. WhatsApp allows up to 50, and they can include photos and videos (on the phone; media isn’t supported in quick replies on Web or Desktop).

To make one: Tools → Quick replies → + → type the message → set a shortcut word → Save. To use it in a chat, type / and pick it.

Good quick replies for a shop:

Shortcut	Message
/hours	We’re open Monday to Saturday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday till 1 p.m.
/delivery	Free home delivery within 3 km for orders over ₹500. Same-day if you order before 5 p.m.
/pay	You can pay by UPI on delivery or at the counter. We’ll send the bill here.
/thanks	Thank you for shopping with us. A Google review helps us a lot: (your review link)

The last one ties into your Google Business Profile: a review link sent with the bill is the easiest way to collect reviews.

Labels: sort chats into orders

Labels are coloured tags you put on chats, so you can find “everyone whose order is packed” in one tap. WhatsApp allows up to 20. Note that WhatsApp is gradually replacing labels with lists, which do the same job; you may see either.

A simple set for a shop: New order, Paid, Out for delivery, Delivered, Regular customer. Long-press a chat, tap the label icon, pick one or more. On the Chats screen, tap a label to see only those chats.

Greeting and away messages

• Greeting message: sent automatically when someone messages you for the first time, or after 14 days without a chat. “Vanakkam! Thanks for messaging Anbu Stores. Send your list and we’ll reply with the total.”
• Away message: sent when you are busy or closed. You can send it always, on a custom schedule, or outside business hours (this needs your hours in the business profile). “We’re closed now and will reply at 9 a.m. Orders sent tonight are packed first.”

Both are under Tools. Choose who gets them: everyone, people not in your contacts, everyone except some, or only some. The phone needs an internet connection for them to go out.

Your customers don’t mind waiting till morning. They mind not knowing if anyone saw their message.

WhatsApp Business app vs WhatsApp Business API

The app is for a shop where people reply by hand. The WhatsApp Business Platform (often called the API) is for businesses that send messages from software: order confirmations from an online store, appointment reminders, a chatbot, many staff on one number. You reach it through Meta or a provider, not from the app store.

The API is paid per delivered message. Meta’s pricing page (updated 30 September 2026) says:

• the price depends on the message type (marketing, utility, authentication, service) and the customer’s country,
• messages customers send you are free, and you pay only for delivered messages,
• from 1 October 2026, each business number gets 1,000 free service messages a month (replies within 24 hours of a customer’s message); after that, service messages are charged.

Providers may add their own fees on top, so ask for the full monthly cost. For most shops the free app is enough; consider the API when the volume of messages is more than your staff can answer by hand. When you’re ready to bring in customers with posts or ads that open a WhatsApp chat, see our simple monthly social media plan.

Questions

Is WhatsApp Business free?

Yes, the WhatsApp Business app is free to download and use. Paid options exist: the WhatsApp Business Platform (API), charged per delivered message, and paid marketing messages in the app where they are available.

What is the difference between WhatsApp and WhatsApp Business?

They work the same way, but WhatsApp Business adds a business profile, a catalogue, quick replies, labels and automatic greeting and away messages. You can’t use one number on both apps at the same time.

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

Use the greeting message for first-time messages and the away message for when you are closed or busy. Both are under Tools; the away message can run only outside the business hours set in your profile.

How many products can I add to the WhatsApp Business catalogue?

We found no item limit on WhatsApp’s help pages for the app’s catalogue; each item can have up to 10 photos or videos. Every item is reviewed before customers can see it, so add products a little ahead of a sale.

Can I use WhatsApp Business on two phones?

You can use it on one phone plus up to four linked devices, which can include a second phone, WhatsApp Web or the desktop app. The linked devices log out if the main phone isn’t used for over 14 days.

Do I need the WhatsApp Business API for my shop?

Usually not. The free app handles a shop where people reply by hand. The API, paid per delivered message, makes sense when software sends messages automatically or when the number of chats is more than your staff can handle.

How do I use WhatsApp Business for marketing?

Share your catalogue link on Instagram and your Google Business Profile, print the WhatsApp QR code at the counter, and keep regular customers informed with useful updates, not daily forwards. Marketing messages to many customers at once are a paid feature where WhatsApp offers it.