Industry
WhatsApp API for distributors and wholesalers: retailer orders, outstanding and schemes
A distributor's playbook: retailers re-order from a WhatsApp catalogue, get GST invoices and outstanding statements as PDFs, and hear about schemes, while salesmen keep their beat.
By Broadchat teamPublished 8 min read
The problems WhatsApp solves for b2b distributors, wholesalers and stockists
Orders arrive as photos of handwritten lists
Kirana and medical-store owners send a photo of a notebook page or a voice note to the salesman's personal number. Someone in the office types it into the billing software, guesses at half the SKUs and calls back about the rest.
The salesman is the only channel
If the salesman is on leave or changes jobs, the distributor loses the retailer's ordering history and sometimes the retailer. The relationship lives on one phone.
Collections lag behind sales
Outstanding amounts are reconciled on calls and paper ledgers. Retailers dispute balances because they never received the invoice copy, and the accounts team chases the same people every month.
Schemes do not reach the counter
A company launches a buy-10-get-1 scheme on a new SKU and only the retailers the salesman happens to visit that week hear about it before it ends.
Catalogues change faster than printouts
Prices, MRP and pack sizes change often. Printed rate lists and forwarded PDFs are out of date within weeks, which causes billing disputes.
Why distributors move ordering to WhatsApp
Retailers already order on WhatsApp; they just do it on the salesman's personal phone, with photos and voice notes. The WhatsApp API for distributors moves that habit onto one company number with a catalogue, structured orders, PDF invoices and monthly statements, while the salesman still owns the relationship through a shared inbox. It suits FMCG, pharma, hardware, electrical and stationery distributors serving 100 to a few thousand retail counters. If you sell to consumers rather than shops, the ecommerce playbook fits better.
If the platform is new to you, read what the WhatsApp Business API is. Most of your retailers will message you first to order, which opens the 24-hour customer service window; invoices, statements and visit notices sent later need an approved message template.
Message templates to get approved first
| Template name | Category | Sample |
|---|---|---|
order_received_b2b | Utility | Order {{1}} received: {{2}} items, {{3}} plus GST. Delivery on {{4}}. Reply here for any change. (GT-10422, 18, ₹14,860, Fri 17 Oct) |
gst_invoice_pdf (document header) | Utility | Hi {{1}}, your tax invoice {{2}} for {{3}} is attached. Due date: {{4}}. (Sharma ji, GT/2026-27/3381, ₹17,534.80, 31 Oct 2026) |
outstanding_statement (document header) | Utility | Statement for {{1}} as of {{2}}: outstanding {{3}} across {{4}} invoices. Pay here: {{5}} (Sharma General Store, 1 Nov 2026, ₹42,310, 3, pay.ganeshtraders.in/s/2291) |
salesman_visit_notice | Utility | Hi {{1}}, {{2}} will visit your shop on {{3}} between {{4}}. You can also send your order here. (Gupta ji, Ravi, Thu 16 Oct, 11 am and 1 pm) |
dispatch_vehicle_details | Utility | Order {{1}} has left our godown on vehicle {{2}}, driver {{3}}. Expected by {{4}}. (GT-10422, RJ14 GD 4471, Mahesh, 4 pm) |
scheme_announcement | Marketing | New scheme till {{1}}: {{2}}. Tap Order to add it to your next delivery. (31 Oct, buy 10 cases of Surya Atta 5 kg get 1 free) |
Keep payment wording neutral: "due date" and "outstanding", not "final notice". The template guide covers why tone affects approval.
The ordering chatbot
- Trigger: Match Keyword on "order", "rate list", "maal", plus New Message for retailers who just say hello.
- Send Message of type Catalog so the retailer browses and builds a cart in WhatsApp.
- When New Order Received: Native Ecommerce Actions (Update Order) to add the retailer code and beat; Send Message confirms with the order number.
- Ask Question for the delivery note ("anything else for the driver?") and Save Variable Value.
- Photos or voice notes of handwritten lists: Assign to Agent, routed to the retailer's salesman, who keys the order.
- "Statement" or "balance" keyword: Send Message of type Document with the latest PDF statement.
- Working Hours: orders after 7 pm are acknowledged and processed the next morning.
Broadchat features to use
- Ecommerce → Products, Ecommerce → Orders and Ecommerce → Store Front: catalogue, orders and an order page you can share.
- Dynamic Experience → PDF Experience: one personalised outstanding statement per retailer, rendered from your data.
- Automations → Workflow with the Zoho Books app (or Google Sheets, or a Webhook from your billing software) to send invoices and statements automatically.
- Payments → Payment Gateways: Razorpay or PayU WhatsApp payments, or PhonePe links, plus Payments → Payment Orders to see who has paid.
- CRM → Super Field for retailer code, GSTIN, beat and credit limit; CRM → Segment for scheme audiences by category.
- Department → Departments (one per beat or territory) and CRM → Live Chat so each salesman sees his retailers.
- CRM → Bulk Campaign with Repeat for the month-start statement run.
Illustrative ROI
Illustrative figures; replace with your own. Ganesh Traders serves 600 retailers. If an office executive spends 3 hours a day typing photo orders and calling to clarify, and structured catalogue orders cut that to 1 hour, that saves about 50 hours a month, roughly ₹10,000 at a ₹200 hourly cost. If PDF statements with payment links bring forward collection of ₹6,00,000 by 10 days at a 12% annual cost of working capital, that is about ₹2,000 a month in interest saved. Subtract Meta's charges for invoice, statement and scheme templates, any service messages above the 1,000 free per number each month (charged since 1 Oct 2026), and the platform subscription. See WhatsApp API pricing to estimate them.
For ERP and DMS resellers
Distributor management software vendors and Tally or Zoho partners can bundle WhatsApp ordering under their own brand through the partner program.
Use cases with example messages
Re-order from a WhatsApp catalogue
Retailers open the catalogue in the chat, add items with quantities and send the cart. The order lands in the order list with SKUs, so the office no longer reads handwriting.
Reply inside the 24-hour window
Business: Namaste Sharma ji, tap below to see this week's rate list from Ganesh Traders. Add items to your cart and send it; we deliver to Malviya Nagar on Tuesday and Friday.
Example message Order received and dispatch confirmation
Confirm every order with the order number, item count and value, then send the dispatch note with the vehicle and delivery day.
utility template
Business: Order GT-10422 received: 18 items, ₹14,860 plus GST. Delivery on Fri 17 Oct with vehicle RJ14 GD 4471. Reply here for any change before 6 pm today.
Example message GST invoice delivered as a PDF
When the bill is generated, send the invoice PDF as a document header, so the retailer has a copy and disputes drop.
utility template
Business: Hi Sharma ji, your tax invoice GT/2026-27/3381 for ₹17,534.80 is attached. Due date: 31 Oct 2026.
Example message Monthly outstanding statement
On the first working day of the month, each retailer gets a personalised PDF statement of open invoices and a payment link. A paid status from the gateway stops further follow-ups.
utility template
Business: Statement for Sharma General Store as of 1 Nov 2026: outstanding ₹42,310 across 3 invoices (PDF attached). Pay by UPI or net banking: pay.ganeshtraders.in/s/2291
Example message Scheme and new-SKU announcements
Send company schemes and launches to retailers who opted in to offers, filtered by the categories they buy, so a pharma retailer is not sent detergent schemes.
marketing template
Business: New scheme till 31 Oct: buy 10 cases of Surya Atta 5 kg, get 1 free. Tap Order to add it to your next delivery. Reply STOP to stop scheme updates.
Example message Salesman beat plan and visit notice
The day before a salesman's visit, the retailer is told who is coming and when, and can send the order in advance if they will not be at the shop.
utility template
Business: Hi Gupta ji, Ravi from Ganesh Traders will visit your shop on Thu 16 Oct between 11 am and 1 pm. You can also send your order here before then.
Example message
A rollout playbook
Load the catalogue with your real SKUs
Import products with SKU codes that match your billing software into **Ecommerce → Products**, with pack size, MRP and your trade price, so orders can be keyed in without translation.
Move the conversation to one business number
Put the company number on stickers at every counter and in the salesman's visiting card, and route each beat's retailers to their salesman in the shared inbox.
Automate invoice and statement delivery
Connect your accounting system through **Automations → Workflow** so invoices and month-start statements are sent without anyone in accounts touching WhatsApp.
Get consent for schemes separately
Ask each retailer once whether they want scheme updates; record the answer in a custom field and build scheme segments only from those who said yes.
Measure by beat
Tag retailers by beat and salesman so you can compare order frequency and collections for retailers who order on WhatsApp against those who do not.
Compliance notes
- Invoice, statement and dispatch templates must contain no scheme or offer text, or Meta may move them to the marketing category.
- Payment reminders must be factual and polite; Meta rejects threatening templates, and pressure on retailers damages the relationship.
- Never ask retailers to share UPI PINs, OTPs or bank passwords in the chat; send gateway payment links only.
- GST invoices sent on WhatsApp should be the same documents your billing system issues; do not send drafts that differ from the filed invoice.
- When a salesman leaves, remove his access the same day in team settings; the conversation history stays with the business.
- Pharma distributors should not promote prescription medicines to the public; scheme messages are for registered retail chemists only.
Sources
- Pricing on the WhatsApp Business Platform — Meta for Developers, checked 12 October 2026
- Message templates overview — Meta for Developers, checked 12 October 2026
- WhatsApp Business Messaging Policy — WhatsApp, checked 12 October 2026
Broadchat team · Product and partner success team
The people who build and support Broadchat, the white-label WhatsApp Business API platform. We write from what we see while onboarding partners and their clients on the official WhatsApp Cloud API, and we check every article against Meta's current documentation.
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Frequently asked questions
Can retailers order from a catalogue without installing an app?
Yes. The catalogue opens inside WhatsApp, the retailer adds items and quantities and sends the cart, and the order appears in your order list with SKUs. No separate app or login is needed.
Are GST invoices and outstanding statements utility messages?
Yes, as long as they only concern the retailer's existing orders and account. Adding a scheme or a new product to the same message makes it marketing.
Can it connect to my accounting software?
Zoho Books has a native app in the workflow builder. Google Sheets and webhooks cover most other systems; anything with an API can be reached through an API call step, though that needs some setup by your software vendor.
What happens to retailer chats when a salesman leaves?
The chats stay on the company number and in the shared inbox. Reassign his retailers to the new salesman and remove his account, and the history continues without a break.
Can I send schemes to every retailer on my list?
Only to retailers who agreed to receive scheme updates. Sending to everyone risks blocks, which lower your quality rating and can restrict your number.