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WhatsApp RSVPs for your events

Invite your guest list on WhatsApp. Guests answer with one tap, with no app, account or form, and every answer lands on one list. Follow-ups, waitlists and door check-in are handled for you.

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What your guests see

The invite comes from your business's own WhatsApp number. One tap records the answer, and the guest gets a reply with their own link: a ticket if they're going, or a "changed your mind?" link if not. You see every answer on the event's guest list as it happens.

From invite to the door

Everything an RSVP list needs

Built for businesses that invite customers, members and guests to real events.

Your guest list, in one go

Upload a CSV or paste names and numbers, in any column order. Numbers Excel stripped of their leading 0 are fixed, and any row Sonar can't read is listed with the reason.

One-tap answers

Invites carry "I'm in" and "Can't make it" buttons, in your own words. Guests can change their answer from their link, and the latest answer is the one that counts.

Follow-ups that skip people who answered

Pick a follow-up when you send: one, two or three days later, the day before RSVPs close, or the day before the event. Only people who still haven't answered get it.

Capacity and a waitlist

Set a capacity and an RSVP deadline. Once the event is full, new yeses join the waitlist, and when someone drops out the next person moves in automatically.

Invite only

WhatsApp lets anyone forward a message, so a forwarded invite can't get in: a tap from someone who isn't on your list isn't counted, and they show as "tried to join".

Tickets and door check-in

Everyone going gets a QR ticket on their own page. Scan it at the door with your phone to check them in, then see who came and who didn't.

Reminders and calendars

Guests can add the event to their calendar, those who gave an email get a reminder the day before, and you can message everyone who's going in a couple of clicks.

Your list, your systems

Download the guest list as a CSV any time, or have every answer sent to your own system as it happens, for example to refund loyalty points when someone can't come.

Open events and weekly sessions

Not invite only? Share the event page or print its QR code on a poster, and people sign up themselves. Set up to 12 weekly sessions at once, each with its own list.

Who uses it

  • Restaurants and food brands: tastings, cook-alongs, supper clubs and chef's tables.
  • Shops and brands: launches, VIP evenings and in-store workshops.
  • Member and loyalty programmes: members-only events, including ones where a place costs points.
  • Clubs, schools and venues: open days, prize-givings, fixtures and weekly sessions.

How it works

1. Get your invite approved (once)

Start from the Event invite example in Templates and send it to WhatsApp for approval. Verified businesses usually hear back in minutes; until your business is verified with Meta, allow up to 24 hours. You reuse the same template for every event.

2. Create the event and add your guests

Name, date, place, and optionally a capacity and an RSVP deadline. Then upload or paste your guest list.

3. Send the invite

Pick which button means "going", choose an automatic follow-up, and send.

4. Watch the answers come in

Going, not going, no answer and waitlist, live on one list. Check people in at the door and download the list when you're done.

The step-by-step guide walks through every screen, with a five-minute test you can run with your own team.

What it costs

Each invite is a marketing message: no Sonar fee within your plan's messages, plus WhatsApp's own rate, about R0.62 in South Africa, which Meta bills to your WhatsApp account. Your guests' answers cost nothing, and the replies Sonar sends back with each person's link fall within WhatsApp's 1,000 free replies a month per number.

Events come with every plan. The free trial (50 contacts and 250 messages, with replies you type free) is enough to test with your own team, and for real events the Starter plan (R349 a month, up to 10,000 messages) covers most organisers. See WhatsApp pricing in South Africa for the full breakdown.

Questions

Do guests need an app or an account?

No. They answer inside WhatsApp, and their personal link opens in any browser.

Can I send from my own number?

Yes. You connect your own WhatsApp Business number to Sonar, so invites come from your business name.

Is there a limit on how many people I can invite?

WhatsApp sets it. A number whose business isn't verified with Meta yet can start chats with 250 people a day; verified businesses get higher limits. Your dashboard shows yours under WhatsApp numbers.

What if someone changes their mind?

They tap the other button or use their link, and the latest answer counts. If they free up a place, the first person on the waitlist moves in.

Run your next event on WhatsApp

Set up your first event in about 15 minutes, or email support@whats-hub.co.za and we'll help.

Start free trial Read the guide
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