WhatsApp Flows for COD: Build In-Chat Order Forms

EasySell
2026-04-14T05:29:28+01:00

Two out of three people who start a WhatsApp conversation with a business end up buying something. WhatsApp Flows takes that momentum and turns it into a COD order form that runs entirely inside the chat — no browser, no redirect, no friction.

WhatsApp conversational commerce converts at 45–60%, according to multiple 2026 industry benchmarks. That's roughly five times higher than the average Shopify store checkout. For COD merchants in South Asia, MENA, and Southeast Asia, this matters more than it does for anyone else. Your customers already live on WhatsApp. They share product links there, ask friends for opinions there, and message you there to ask "is this available?" The problem is that after all that WhatsApp activity, you're sending them to a website to place the order. That redirect is where you lose them.

With WhatsApp Flows, the customer browses your catalog, fills in their shipping details, confirms their COD order, and gets a confirmation message without ever leaving the chat. This guide covers how to set up a WhatsApp catalog, build a COD order Flow, connect it to Shopify, and use the same channel for order verification.

What WhatsApp Flows Actually Is (And What It Isn't)

WhatsApp Flows is a feature of the WhatsApp Business API that lets businesses create structured, multi-step forms inside the chat window. Think of it as a mini-app embedded in a conversation.

A Flow can include dropdown menus, text input fields, date pickers, radio buttons, and confirmation screens. When a customer interacts with a Flow, their responses are captured automatically and sent to your backend — no manual data entry, no copy-pasting from chat messages into a spreadsheet.

What it's not: it's not the free WhatsApp Business app that small vendors use. Flows requires the WhatsApp Business API, which you access through a Meta-approved Business Solution Provider (BSP) like AiSensy, Wati, Zoko, or Interakt. Monthly costs typically start at $30–50/month depending on the provider and message volume.

Why Should COD Merchants Use WhatsApp Flows?

COD businesses face a unique conversion problem. Your customer is already interested — they messaged you, asked about the product, maybe even said "I want this." But then you tell them to visit your website and fill out a form. Between your WhatsApp chat and your checkout page, you lose a significant chunk of buyers to distraction, slow mobile connections, or simple laziness.

In markets like India, Pakistan, Egypt, and Nigeria, this drop-off is worse because:

Mobile data speeds vary wildly — loading a full Shopify store on a 3G connection in rural areas can take 10+ seconds

Many customers aren't comfortable navigating unfamiliar websites

Trust is higher inside WhatsApp (a familiar app) than on a new website

With WhatsApp Flows, the entire order happens where the conversation already is. No app switching. No page loads. The customer fills in their name, phone number, address, and selects "Cash on Delivery" — all inside a clean, native WhatsApp form that loads instantly regardless of connection speed.

Set Up Your WhatsApp Catalog First

Before you build any Flows, you need a WhatsApp Business catalog. This is your product listing inside WhatsApp — up to 500 products with images, descriptions, and prices.

1. Open your WhatsApp Business API dashboard through your BSP (Wati, AiSensy, Interakt, etc.)

2. Navigate to Commerce Settings and create your catalog

3. Add products with clear photos, short descriptions, and accurate prices in local currency

4. Organize products into collections if you sell across multiple categories

Keep product names short and descriptive. "Blue Cotton Kurti - Medium" works better than "Beautiful Premium Quality Ladies Kurti Blue Color." Your customers are browsing on a phone screen inside a chat window — space is limited.

If you're running a Shopify store alongside WhatsApp, most BSPs offer direct Shopify integrations that sync your product catalog automatically. This saves you from maintaining two separate product lists.

Build a COD Order Flow in 5 Steps

Here's the structure of a high-converting COD order Flow. The exact builder interface depends on your BSP, but the logic is the same across platforms.

Step 1: Product selection screen. Show the customer a list of products (pulled from your catalog) with images and prices. Let them select items and quantities. Some BSPs support multi-product selection in a single Flow; others require one Flow per product category.

Step 2: Variant selection. If your products have sizes, colors, or other options, add a dropdown or radio button screen. Keep options to 5–7 per field — too many choices slow down decisions.

Step 3: Shipping details form. Collect the customer's full name, phone number, and delivery address. Use separate fields for city and area/neighborhood — this matters for COD logistics, where couriers often route by zone rather than full address.

Step 4: Order summary and confirmation. Show everything the customer selected: products, quantities, total price, delivery address, and "Cash on Delivery" as the payment method. Include a confirm button and a back button. This review screen reduces order errors and gives the customer one last chance to correct mistakes.

Step 5: Confirmation message. After submission, send an automated WhatsApp message with the order details and an estimated delivery window. This message doubles as a receipt the customer can reference when the courier arrives.

Connect Your Flow to Shopify for Fulfillment

Taking orders on WhatsApp is only useful if those orders reach your fulfillment system. Most BSPs offer webhook integrations that push Flow responses to external systems. Here's how to connect it to your Shopify store:

Direct API integration: Tools like Zoko and Interakt have native Shopify integrations. When a customer completes a Flow, the order is automatically created in your Shopify admin as a draft order or confirmed order.

Zapier/Make automation: If your BSP doesn't have a direct Shopify connector, set up a Zapier workflow: WhatsApp Flow completion triggers a new Shopify draft order with the customer's details and product selections.

Google Sheets fallback: For merchants just getting started, push Flow responses to a Google Sheet and manually create orders in Shopify. Not scalable past 20–30 orders/day, but it works for testing.

Whichever method you choose, make sure the order includes the customer's phone number as the primary identifier. In COD markets, phone numbers are more reliable than email addresses for order tracking and delivery coordination.

Use WhatsApp for COD Order Verification Too

One of the biggest advantages of taking COD orders through WhatsApp is that you already have a direct communication channel with the customer. You can use that same channel to verify orders before shipping — which is critical when your average return-to-origin rate can eat 15–30% of your revenue.

After a customer submits a Flow, send a follow-up verification message 15–30 minutes later. A simple "Hi [name], confirming your order for [product] to be delivered to [address]. Reply YES to confirm or NO to cancel." This filters out impulse orders and typos.

If you're running a Shopify store with EasySell, you can combine approaches — use WhatsApp Flows for customers who prefer ordering in-chat, and EasySell's order form with built-in OTP and WhatsApp verification for customers who land on your website directly.

Avoid These Three Common Mistakes

Don't build a 10-screen Flow. Every additional screen increases drop-off. Keep your order Flow to 4–5 screens maximum. If you're selling complex products with many variants, split them into separate Flows by category rather than cramming everything into one.

Don't skip the order summary screen. COD merchants already deal with high return rates from customers claiming "I didn't order this" or "the size was wrong." A clear order summary that the customer explicitly confirms gives you documentation and reduces disputes.

Don't use Flows without a response time plan. WhatsApp Business API messages have a 24-hour response window. After that, you need to send a template message (which costs money and requires pre-approval). If a customer asks a question mid-Flow and you don't respond for two days, the conversation window closes and you've lost the sale.

What This Looks Like in Practice

A typical COD merchant running WhatsApp Flows sees a workflow like this: customer discovers your product through a social media ad or word of mouth, messages your WhatsApp number, browses your catalog, completes the order Flow in under 2 minutes, receives an instant confirmation, gets a verification message 15 minutes later, and confirms. The order appears in your Shopify dashboard ready for fulfillment.

The entire process stays inside one app the customer already trusts and uses daily. No website loading screens. No account creation. No "where do I enter my address?" confusion.

Start with one product category and 50 orders before scaling. Test your Flow with 5–10 friends first to catch confusing fields or missing options. Once it's running smoothly, add it to your Instagram bio, Facebook ads, and product packaging as a "Order on WhatsApp" link — and watch what happens to your conversion rate when you stop asking customers to leave the app they're already in.