Event tickets on WhatsApp.
Reminders that get read, not spammed.
88% open rate versus 22% for email. Under ₹1 per attendee for the whole event. QR pass embedded in the message. DPDP-safe consent baked into the registration form.
Real numbers from Indian events.
Aggregated across 34 events run through SignupDesk in H1 2026.
| Channel | Open rate | Click rate | Cost per msg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Email (SendGrid) | 22% | 4-6% | ₹0.05 |
| SMS (TSP transactional) | Not measurable | 3-5% | ₹0.15-0.20 |
| WhatsApp (Utility) | 88% | 34% | ₹0.24 |
| WhatsApp (Marketing) | 72% | 18% | ₹0.79 |
SMS still has a use - very old audiences (60+ age), or events where WhatsApp opt-in was missed. But on cost-per-click, WhatsApp Utility wins by an order of magnitude in India.
Four messages. Not eight.
Every extra reminder past four dents your quality rating and annoys attendees.
- Right after registration - ticket delivered with QR pass. This is the transactional confirmation. Non-negotiable.
- 7 days before - agenda link, venue directions, "add to calendar" button. Optional but reduces day-of confusion.
- Day before, 5 PM - single line: "See you tomorrow at 10 AM. Your seat: V-14. QR pass linked." Highest engagement of the cadence.
- Day of, 45 minutes before start - "Doors open in 45 min. Traffic advisory: X. Kiosk at gate 3." Only send this if genuinely useful; skip otherwise.
- Post-event (24 hours after) - thanks, photos link, NPS survey. Combined into one message.
Skip: mid-event "how's it going" pings, promotional reminders about future events (send those from a separate WhatsApp number - opt-in requirement differs), and "kind reminder" messages more than twice.
How Meta's template flow works.
Any message you send via WhatsApp Business API outside a 24-hour user-initiated window must be a pre-approved template. Templates fall into three categories:
- Utility - transactional (order confirmation, ticket, reminder). Cheapest category, easiest approval. This is what most event messages should be.
- Authentication - OTP only. Not relevant for events.
- Marketing - promotional. More expensive, stricter review. Use sparingly.
Approval time: 1-24 hours typically. Common rejection reasons: promotional language in a utility template ("Special offer for you!"), too many placeholder variables (max 10 per template), or missing opt-out reference. Our team has run 100+ template approvals - we know what Meta reviewers flag.
Template body example that gets approved:
The opt-in language that ticks all boxes.
Meta requires opt-in proof before you can WhatsApp anyone. India's DPDP Act 2023 requires the same. Kill two birds with one line at registration:
This meets both:
- Meta opt-in: explicit consent to receive WhatsApp messages from your business.
- DPDP consent: specific purpose (event delivery), free (checkbox), informed (list of message types), withdrawable (STOP command).
Store the opt-in timestamp and IP with the registration record. If Meta or the Data Protection Board ever asks, you have the evidence.
What arrives on the attendee's phone.
The delivered ticket message contains four parts:
- QR image attachment - the entry pass, 500x500px PNG, includes attendee name, seat, event branding, QR code.
- Text body - name, seat, date, venue. Optional "Add to Calendar" link that opens a native calendar file.
- Quick reply buttons - "View agenda", "Get directions", "Contact organiser". These use WhatsApp's interactive message format.
- Opt-out line - "Reply STOP to opt out". Auto-honoured on your end.
Attendees can save the QR image to their gallery. At the gate, staff scan directly from the phone screen. No need to open WhatsApp again if the attendee has saved it. In our data, about 60% save the image; 40% scan straight from WhatsApp.