SMS vs WhatsApp for booking confirmations
The choice between SMS and WhatsApp depends on three factors: WhatsApp penetration in your customer base, the type of content you want to send (text only vs links and images), and conversation costs in your market.
For industries with older clientele (some medical specialties, certain personal services), SMS guarantees 100% coverage because it works on any phone, including non-smartphones. For younger, digitally active customers, WhatsApp offers a better experience.
The optimal strategy is omnichannel: attempt first on WhatsApp, if the number is not registered on WhatsApp fall back automatically to SMS. Chat API handles this fallback automatically without you needing to manage the logic in your code.
Integration with Chat API for automated SMS
Chat API exposes a single REST API for sending both SMS and WhatsApp messages. This means you can use the same backend code and the same webhook mechanism for both channels, reducing maintenance complexity.
For automatic sending, the flow is identical to WhatsApp: your booking system calls the Chat API at confirmation time, passing the client's number, message text or template name, and dynamic parameters.
