WhatsApp Business API for Distributors

One message reaches the whole beat

India's shops still buy most of their goods through distributors and wholesalers. That network is huge, and it already runs on WhatsApp.

When the company launches a scheme — "buy 10 cases, get 1 free this week" — the distributor has to tell every retailer before the salesman's next visit. On a phone, that is a morning of forwarding to people who may not have saved the number.

On the API it is one campaign to your retailer list, from your business name, with a report showing which shops opened it. The salesman then visits knowing which shops already saw the offer.

Orders between beat visits

A retailer runs out of a fast-moving item on Tuesday and the salesman comes on Friday. Today that order either goes to a competitor or sits on the salesman's personal phone.

With a shared inbox, the retailer messages the distributor's number, and the office picks it up the same day. Reply with the order details, the total and the dispatch day so the order is written down.

Salesmen can still work their beats. The difference is that orders, rates and complaints now belong to the business, not to whoever holds a phone. When a salesman changes jobs, the retailers stay.

Collections without awkward calls

Distribution runs on credit, and outstanding payments are the constant headache.

A short utility template — shop name, bill number, amount, due date and a UPI link — does the first round of collection. Most retailers pay or reply with a date. Salesmen then spend their visits selling instead of chasing money.

On Pro, your billing software can send these reminders automatically on the due date. Keep the tone polite; aggressive wording gets templates rejected and annoys good customers.

New products and slow-moving stock

When a new product arrives, send one message with a photo, the retailer margin and the introductory scheme. Retailers decide faster when they can see the product before the salesman arrives.

For stock that is not moving, send a targeted offer only to shops that have sold that category before. A small, well-aimed message clears godown space better than a blast to everyone.

Keep retailers in lists by beat, by shop type — kirana, medical, general store — and by how much they buy, so each message goes where it makes sense.

Month-end statements that stop disputes

Month end is when disputes happen: "I did not order that", "that scheme was not applied". A written record helps both sides.

Send each retailer a short statement message — total bills, schemes applied, amount due — with a link to the detailed statement. When every order during the month has a written confirmation in the same chat, most arguments end before they start.

Retailers who can see their account clearly also pay faster, because there is nothing left to question.

What the platform does not do

It is not a distributor management system. It does not plan beats, track salesmen, manage stock or keep ledgers. It has no ready-made connection to Tally or company DMS software; a developer connects your system through the API and webhooks on Pro.

The platform does not put a catalogue or a cart inside WhatsApp, and it takes no payment in the chat — retailers pay through the link you send. Messages go only to retailers who agreed to receive them, and Meta's messaging tiers apply.

Which plan a distributor needs

A small distributor sending schemes and reminders from the inbox fits Starter at ₹790 a month. Growth at ₹990 adds retailer lists by beat and shop type, plus the after-hours bot. A larger distributor connecting billing software needs Pro at ₹1,290. No setup fee — see the plans page.

Send us your retailer list with beat names, your scheme message format and your reminder wording. See also WhatsApp for wholesalers and how broadcasts reach retailers who never saved your number.