Confirm orders and payments clearly
Turn WhatsApp agreement into a clear order, quotation, invoice, payment, and receipt flow so the customer and business share the same understanding of scope, timing, money, and delivery.
What you will leave with
- A practical order-confirmation checklist
- Clear separation between quotation, invoice, payment, and receipt
- Safer payment-verification habits
- A connected handoff from WhatsApp conversation into LaunchBOS records
Step 01
Do not treat casual interest as a confirmed order
A customer asking for price, availability, or delivery details is not the same as agreeing to buy.
Before you reserve stock, buy materials, block a service slot, or start work, identify what your business requires for confirmation. That may be a written approval, accepted quotation, deposit, full payment, or another clearly communicated step.
Use simple status language such as enquiry, quotation sent, awaiting deposit, confirmed, in progress, and completed. This prevents the customer and business from assuming different things.
- Define what makes an order confirmed.
- Tell the customer what is still pending.
- Do not reserve scarce capacity on vague interest unless you choose to.
- Use the same status language internally.
Step 02
Confirm the exact order before money changes hands
The customer should be able to read one message or document and understand what they are paying for.
Restate the product or service, quantity, variation, scope, total amount, delivery or service date, location, and any important exclusions. If the job is custom, use a quotation rather than trying to summarise a complicated scope in several separate chat messages.
Ask the customer to correct anything that is wrong before payment. This is especially important when names, dates, sizes, quantities, colours, addresses, menu choices, or custom instructions affect fulfilment.
- Product, service, or package.
- Quantity, variation, or scope.
- Total amount.
- Date and location.
- Important exclusions or customer responsibilities.
Step 03
Know when to use a quotation
A quotation is useful when the customer needs to approve scope and price before the sale is final.
Use a quotation for variable services, custom quantities, project work, event services, multiple items, or situations where assumptions and exclusions matter. The quotation should represent the scope you are willing to deliver at the stated price.
If the customer requests a change, update the quotation or create a revised version instead of leaving the final agreement scattered between the document and later chat messages.
- Custom scope.
- Several products or services.
- Important assumptions or exclusions.
- Price validity or project timing.
Step 04
Use an invoice for money that is actually due
A quotation proposes a price; an invoice records an amount the customer owes under the agreed transaction.
Create the invoice when your workflow reaches the point where payment is due. Keep the customer, items, amounts, due date, and payment instructions accurate. Do not issue an invoice simply to make an early enquiry look more serious.
If the customer pays a deposit, the payment record should reflect what was actually received and the remaining balance should stay visible.
- Invoice the agreed customer and items.
- Use accurate due dates and payment instructions.
- Keep deposits and balances visible.
- Do not confuse a quote with money already owed.
Step 05
Share payment instructions carefully
Payment details should be accurate, current, and consistent with the business process.
Before sending bank or payment details, check that they are current. If payment instructions change, update saved replies, invoices, profile settings, and other active places where old details may remain.
Do not ask customers to send passwords, PINs, or one-time security codes. The business should never need those details to receive a normal payment.
- Use current payment details.
- State the amount and reference where useful.
- Never request passwords, PINs, or security codes.
- Correct old instructions everywhere after a change.
Step 06
Verify payment independently
A screenshot, transfer message, or forwarded alert is not the final authority on whether money reached the business.
Check the bank, payment provider, POS settlement, or other trusted account controlled by the business. Match the amount and transaction to the correct customer or invoice before changing the payment status.
If the payment is delayed or pending, explain that the business will update the order after verification. This is a normal control, not an accusation against the customer.
- Check the trusted payment source.
- Match amount and customer.
- Record the date and method accurately.
- Do not mark paid from a screenshot alone.
Step 07
Record partial payments without hiding the balance
A deposit or instalment should reduce what is due, not make the whole invoice appear paid.
Record each verified payment separately against the relevant invoice where possible. The remaining balance should be easy to see for both follow-up and reconciliation.
If a customer pays more than expected or sends a payment that does not clearly match an invoice, investigate before allocating it casually.
- Record the amount actually received.
- Keep the remaining balance visible.
- Link the payment to the right invoice.
- Investigate unmatched or unexpected amounts.
Step 08
Issue a receipt only after verified payment
A receipt confirms money received; it should not be used as a promise that payment might arrive.
After verification, issue a receipt when your business process calls for one. The receipt should show the amount received, customer, payment purpose, date, and relevant reference.
If the customer paid only a deposit, the receipt should reflect the deposit amount rather than implying that the full invoice has been settled.
- Verified amount received.
- Correct customer.
- Correct purpose or invoice reference.
- Accurate payment date and method.
Step 09
Confirm fulfilment after the payment step that applies
Customers should know what happens after payment or confirmation.
Tell the customer whether the next step is production, appointment scheduling, dispatch, pickup, service delivery, or waiting for a remaining balance. Give a realistic timing window and update them if something material changes.
Do not promise delivery simply because payment arrived if stock, capacity, location, or another requirement has not been confirmed.
- State the next fulfilment step.
- Give a realistic timing expectation.
- Confirm stock or service capacity.
- Communicate material delays promptly.
Step 10
Handle changes and cancellations as changes to the record
When the customer changes quantity, scope, date, or delivery details, the operating record should change too.
Update the quotation, invoice, or order-related record as appropriate. Do not rely on a final chat message that contradicts the document the business is using internally.
If the change affects price, explain the new amount before continuing. If it affects refunds or cancellation terms, apply the policy that was communicated for the transaction and document what was agreed.
- Update scope or quantity.
- Update price when required.
- Confirm revised timing.
- Keep refunds or cancellations traceable.
Step 11
Use LaunchBOS as the transaction history
WhatsApp can carry the conversation while the Workspace connects the records that define what happened.
A typical flow can become Customer → Quotation → Invoice → Payment → Receipt, with Follow-up added when a future customer action is needed. Not every sale needs every step, but the records you do create should reflect reality.
LaunchBOS does not currently read WhatsApp chats automatically. Move the important outcome into the Workspace deliberately so the transaction remains understandable even if the chat becomes difficult to find later.
- Create the customer when appropriate.
- Use quotation for proposed custom scope.
- Use invoice for money due.
- Record verified payments and receipts.
- Add follow-up for legitimate pending actions.
Chat → operating record
Move confirmed work and payment into connected records.
Use quotations or invoices for the agreed work, then record verified payments so customer history and receipts stay connected.