Business payments
How to Accept Payments for WhatsApp Orders in Nigeria
To accept payments for WhatsApp orders, send the customer a clear order summary, agree on a payment method, and confirm the money in your own receiving account before moving to the next agreed step.
You can use WhatsApp to discuss an order and share payment instructions. Keep a separate record of what the customer ordered, how much they owe and which payments you have received.
Start with one clear order summary
An order can change several times in a chat. A customer asks for two shirts, adds another colour, then changes the delivery address. If the payment instructions sit between those messages, either person can miss the final total.
Before collecting money, send one message with the agreed details:
Order 042
Two shirts: ₦16,000
Delivery: ₦2,000
Total: ₦18,000
Delivery address: [confirmed address]
Payment required before dispatch. Please confirm these details before paying.
Give each order a reference. It can be as simple as 042, provided you do not reuse it for another order.
If you accept a deposit, state the amount required now and when the remaining balance becomes due.
Offer a payment method the customer can use
A bank transfer is useful when the customer wants to pay through their banking service. Send the receiving institution, account number, account name and amount together. Ask them to check the recipient name before confirming.
If both of you use GoTap, you can share your business QR.
To find it, switch to your merchant account, open Receive, then choose QR Code. Check the displayed business name before sharing the code.
The customer scans with GoTap, reviews the recipient and amount, and authorises the payment. A GoTap QR payment requires GoTap; do not assume another bank’s app can pay the code.
If the customer cannot conveniently scan a QR image received on the same phone, offer a bank transfer instead.
Ask for details that help identify the payment
Where their payment service allows it, ask the customer to include the order reference in the narration.
Also ask them to tell you if somebody else will pay. The name on an incoming payment may belong to a spouse, colleague or friend rather than the person in your WhatsApp chat.
A useful message is:
After paying, please send your order reference and the payer’s name. If someone else is paying for you, let us know so we can match the payment correctly.
These details help you locate a payment. They do not replace checking your account.
Confirm receipt before confirming payment
Open the account that should receive the money. Find the incoming transaction and compare the amount, time and available reference.
A customer’s screenshot can help you investigate. Confirm receipt using your own account record.
If you cannot find the money, tell the customer what you have checked. If they were debited and the result is unclear, establish what happened before asking them to pay again.
Get help with a missing customer payment.
Once you confirm receipt, send a clear acknowledgement:
Payment received: ₦18,000 for Order 042. Your order is now awaiting dispatch. We’ll send the dispatch details when it leaves.
Use the actual next step you agreed with the customer.
Keep payment and delivery updates separate
A paid order may still be waiting for production, collection or dispatch.
Record both:
- Payment: unpaid, partly paid or fully paid.
- Order: confirmed, being prepared, ready, dispatched or completed.
That separation helps you answer two different questions: “Have they paid?” and “What still needs to happen?”
For every WhatsApp order, keep the order summary, payment reference and fulfilment status together. Before dispatching today’s orders, check each one against the payment terms you agreed.