01Why templates
The WhatsApp Business API allows free-form replies within 24 hours of a customer’s last message. Anything outbound outside that window must be a template approved by Meta. Reminders, receipts and results are all outbound, so they are all templates.
02The templates you need
- Installment due in 3 days (amount, date, pay link)
- Installment due today
- Installment overdue (with LPS shown)
- Payment received / receipt
- Statement available
- Ballot result: successful (plot, next step)
- Ballot result: unsuccessful (refund timeline)
- Site visit confirmation
- Welcome / first reply to a new lead
- Maintenance invoice issued (societies)
03Writing for approval
Meta rejects templates that look like marketing disguised as utility, contain vague placeholders or have grammar that reads as spam. Keep each template to one purpose, name the organisation, use variables for amount, date and plot, and provide a clear opt-out for anything promotional. Submit Urdu and English versions separately.
04What to log
- Template used and variables
- Sent, delivered and read timestamps
- Failures (blocked, invalid number) so recovery officers know to call instead
- The link between the message and the file, receipt or ballot result it refers to
05Flo in the 24-hour window
When a customer replies, the window opens and Flo can answer free-form: confirm a payment, share a plan, book a visit, or escalate to a person. Everything is logged on the contact, so the agent who calls later sees the whole thread.