WhatsApp Marketing for Shopify Stores: Costs, Rules and Flows

Key Takeaways

• WhatsApp marketing means messaging customers who have opted in on WhatsApp, with offers, reminders and updates, and talking with them in the same chat.
• Since 1 July 2025 the WhatsApp Business Platform charges per template message, by category (marketing, utility, authentication) and recipient country.
• Replies within a 24 hour customer service window are free, as are utility templates sent within it; marketing templates are always charged.
• WhatsApp's policy requires opt in and respect for every opt out, and UK electronic mail rules are broad enough to cover messaging apps, so treat it like SMS.
• Klaviyo supports WhatsApp campaigns and flows, with explicit consent, approved templates and credits.
• Start small with abandoned cart, back in stock and VIP messages; adding one abandoned cart text recovered £180 a month for one of our clients on top of email.
• One of our clients sent a WhatsApp message before each delivery went out, so customers could make changes first; cancellations fell by 24% and a declining retention rate reversed.

Quick Answer

WhatsApp marketing lets a Shopify store send opted in customers abandoned cart reminders, back in stock alerts, order updates and offers, and talk with them in the same chat. Since 1 July 2025 WhatsApp charges per template message, by category and country, while replies within a 24 hour window are free. You need clear opt in consent and must honour opt outs, just as with SMS. Set it up through Klaviyo or a Shopify app, start with a few high value flows, and measure revenue per message against SMS and email. Useful order updates can matter as much as offers: one of our clients cut cancellations by 24% with a message before each delivery.

Table of Contents

• What Is WhatsApp Marketing?
• How WhatsApp Pricing Works
• UK Rules: Consent and Opt Outs
• How to Set Up WhatsApp for a Shopify Store
• WhatsApp Messages That Suit Online Stores
• WhatsApp, SMS and Email Compared
• Measuring Results and Protecting Quality
• Why Matters Perspective
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Final Thoughts
• Related Articles

Shoppers already use WhatsApp every day to talk to friends and family, which is why more of our clients are asking whether it should sit alongside email and SMS. It can, but it works differently: it is a conversation channel with strict opt in rules and per message costs. This guide covers what it costs, the rules and the messages worth sending.

What Is WhatsApp Marketing?

WhatsApp marketing is sending messages to customers who have opted in to hear from you on WhatsApp, and answering them in the same chat. There are two ways to use WhatsApp as a business:

• The WhatsApp Business app: a free app for chatting with customers by hand from one phone. It suits very small stores answering questions.
• The WhatsApp Business Platform: used through software such as Klaviyo or a Shopify app, with automated messages, approved templates, campaigns and several team members.

Most of this guide is about the Platform, because automation is what makes WhatsApp useful for marketing at any scale.

How WhatsApp Pricing Works

WhatsApp's pricing documentation says that conversation based pricing was replaced with per message pricing on 1 July 2025. Business initiated messages use templates in three categories, marketing, utility and authentication, and the price depends on the category and the recipient's country.

• Free: all non template messages, which can only be sent within an open customer service window, and utility templates delivered within that window.
• The window: a customer's message opens a 24 hour customer service window.
• Charged: marketing templates, and utility and authentication templates sent outside the window.
• Provider fees: platforms and apps may add their own charges or sell credits, so check the total cost per message.

Check the current UK rate card before planning a campaign, and work out the revenue each message needs to bring in to cover its cost.

UK Rules: Consent and Opt Outs

WhatsApp's Business Messaging Policy says you may only contact people who have given you their mobile number and opted in to receive messages, that you must respect every request to opt out, whether made on or off WhatsApp, and that you must not spam or surprise people. It also suggests separate opt ins for different categories of message.

UK marketing law applies too. The ICO's definition of electronic mail covers emails, texts, in app messages and direct messages, and the ICO says it is deliberately broad to cover new forms of messaging. In our view WhatsApp marketing should be treated like SMS:

• Collect a separate, clear WhatsApp opt in, for example a tick box at checkout or a sign up form, not bundled with email.
• Say what people will receive and how often.
• Make opting out easy in every marketing message and honour it straight away.
• Keep records of when and how each person opted in.

How to Set Up WhatsApp for a Shopify Store

If you already use Klaviyo, its WhatsApp campaign guide lists what is needed: WhatsApp connected and configured in your Klaviyo account, explicit WhatsApp marketing consent, an approved message template, an opted in list or segment, and enough credits. Campaigns and automated flows are both supported, and Klaviyo notes that Meta blocks marketing messages to US numbers. Otherwise, several WhatsApp apps in the Shopify App Store connect to the Platform.

1. Choose your tool: Klaviyo if your email and SMS already run there, or a dedicated WhatsApp app.
2. Connect a WhatsApp business number that is not already used on a personal WhatsApp account.
3. Add opt in points: checkout, sign up forms and a click to chat link on product pages.
4. Create and submit templates for each message type and wait for approval.
5. Build two or three flows first (see below), then test with your own number.
6. Plan who answers replies, because customers will reply and expect a response.

WhatsApp Messages That Suit Online Stores

Our own client result came from an order update, not an offer. One of our clients sent customers a WhatsApp message before each delivery was dispatched, giving them the chance to make any changes first. Cancellations fell by 24%, and a retention rate that had been declining reversed. A message that saves an order can be worth more than one that chases a new sale.

For revenue, start with the abandoned cart reminder. Messaging channels can add real revenue on top of email: adding one abandoned cart text to a health and beauty client's Klaviyo flow recovered £180 a month on top of what the emails already recovered. Our guide to SMS marketing for Shopify stores covers the same flows for texts.

WhatsApp, SMS and Email Compared

Across 198 of our client stores, email is a median 30% of revenue, so WhatsApp should add to email, not replace it. See optimising Shopify email marketing.

Measuring Results and Protecting Quality

WhatsApp's policy says recipients can block or report businesses, and that a business whose quality stays low for a sustained period will have the number of messages it can send limited. Protect quality by sending fewer, more useful messages to people who asked for them. Measure:

• Revenue per message sent, compared with SMS and email.
• Opt out and block rates after each campaign.
• Reply rates and response times, if you use WhatsApp for conversations.
• Cost per order after message and provider fees.

Why Matters Perspective

We are a Klaviyo partner and set up email, SMS and messaging flows for Shopify stores. WhatsApp can be a valuable extra channel, especially for brands whose customers already use it and for higher value products where people want to ask a question before buying. It is not a replacement for email, and it punishes stores that treat it like a bulk marketing list.

One of our clients has used it so far, with the message before dispatch described above. That is the kind of message WhatsApp suits best: timely, useful and easy to reply to.

Our advice is to start with consent, two or three flows and a clear owner for replies, then expand only if the revenue per message justifies it. We are a Shopify Select partner, our pricing is published, and retainer clients are billed one month in arrears with no long contracts. For a free review of your email and messaging, visit our email marketing agency page.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is WhatsApp marketing?

WhatsApp marketing is sending messages to customers who have opted in on WhatsApp, such as abandoned cart reminders, back in stock alerts, order updates and offers, and answering their questions in the same chat. For online stores it works as a two way channel alongside email and SMS.

How much does WhatsApp marketing cost?

Since 1 July 2025, the WhatsApp Business Platform charges per template message, with prices that depend on the message category (marketing, utility or authentication) and the recipient's country. Replies to customers within a 24 hour customer service window are free, as are utility templates sent within that window. Messaging providers may add their own fees.

Do I need consent to send WhatsApp marketing messages in the UK?

Yes. WhatsApp's own policy says you may only contact people who have given you their number and opted in to receive messages, and you must respect every opt out. UK marketing rules also apply: the ICO's definition of electronic mail covers in app and direct messages and is deliberately broad, so treat WhatsApp like SMS.

Can I send WhatsApp messages from Klaviyo?

Yes. Klaviyo's help centre explains how to send WhatsApp campaigns to a list or segment and automated WhatsApp flows. You need WhatsApp connected and configured in your Klaviyo account, explicit WhatsApp marketing consent, approved message templates and enough credits.

What is the difference between the WhatsApp Business app and the WhatsApp Business Platform?

The WhatsApp Business app is a free app for small businesses to chat with customers by hand from one phone. The WhatsApp Business Platform is used through software such as Klaviyo or a Shopify app, and supports automated messages, templates, campaigns and several team members, with per message pricing.

Is WhatsApp better than SMS for ecommerce?

It depends on your customers. WhatsApp allows richer messages with images, buttons and two way conversation, while SMS reaches any mobile number. Many stores use both: SMS for short, urgent messages and WhatsApp for conversations and richer content to customers who prefer it.

What WhatsApp messages work best for online stores?

Abandoned cart reminders, back in stock alerts, order and delivery updates, early access to launches and sales for VIP customers, and help after delivery. One of our clients cut cancellations by 24% with a message before each delivery that let customers make changes. Keep marketing messages infrequent and useful, because recipients can block or report you, which lowers your sending quality.

Final Thoughts

WhatsApp gives Shopify stores a direct, conversational line to customers who prefer it. With per message pricing, template approval and strict opt in rules, it rewards careful, useful messages rather than volume.

Collect clear consent, start with abandoned cart and back in stock messages, plan who answers replies and measure revenue per message. If you would like help setting it up, email us.

Related Articles

• SMS Marketing for Shopify Stores
• Klaviyo Pricing UK
• Email Marketing Campaigns for Shopify
• How to Optimise Your Shopify Email Marketing
• Abandoned Cart Statistics
• Omnisend Review for Shopify
• Customer Journey Map Template for Ecommerce Stores