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OTP Authentication WhatsApp Template for Restaurants

A ready-to-use, Meta-compliant WhatsApp OTP authentication template built for Indian restaurants — the exact wording, the correct authentication category, a one-tap copy-code button, and the approval notes you need to pass review the first time. Whether a guest is logging into your loyalty app, confirming a table booking, verifying a phone number at checkout, or authorising a wallet top-up, this template delivers the code where diners actually read it. Copy the body below, drop in your two variables, submit it as Authentication, and start sending verification codes within a day through InfiQ.

Authentication
Category
{{1}} OTP code, {{2}} brand name
Variables
Copy code (one-time-password)
Button
Per delivered message at Meta's authentication rate
Billing
Usually within a day
Typical approval
WhatsApp — higher read rates than SMS
Best channel
A copy-paste WhatsApp authentication template for restaurants that sends a time-bound OTP with a one-tap copy-code button — submitted in Meta's low-cost authentication category, live within about a day via InfiQ.
authentication

Variables

  • {{1}} = 493028
  • {{2}} = Spice Route Kitchen

Verified business

493028 is your Spice Route Kitchen verification code. It is valid for 10 minutes. Do not share this code with anyone.

10:24

Copy code

Preview · as customers see it

When restaurants actually use this template

Restaurants send verification codes more often than they realise. This template fits every moment where a diner needs to prove it's really them: signing into your loyalty or rewards app, confirming a table reservation from a new device, verifying a mobile number during online-ordering checkout, resetting a forgotten password, authorising a wallet or gift-card top-up, or approving a change to saved payment details. In each case an OTP on WhatsApp lands in the same thread the guest already uses to reach you, gets read faster than an SMS, and closes the loop with a single tap on the copy-code button — so fewer diners abandon the login and fewer support calls hit your front desk during a busy service.

  • Loyalty and rewards app sign-in or sign-up
  • Table booking confirmation from a new device
  • Phone-number verification at online-ordering checkout
  • Password reset and account recovery
  • Wallet, gift-card or store-credit top-up authorisation
  • Changes to saved cards or delivery addresses

The template, variable by variable

Keep the body tight and literal — Meta's authentication category is strict, and anything that reads like a promotion will be rejected. Variable {{1}} is the numeric code your system generates; {{2}} is your restaurant's brand name so the guest instantly recognises who sent it. The '[Copy code]' button uses WhatsApp's one-time-password button type, which copies the OTP to the clipboard in one tap and removes the friction of hand-typing digits. Notice there is no offer, no menu link, and no emoji: authentication templates carry only the code, its validity window, and a safety reminder. That discipline is exactly what gets them approved quickly and keeps them in the low-cost authentication tier.

  • {{1}} — the OTP code, e.g. 493028
  • {{2}} — your brand name, e.g. Spice Route Kitchen
  • Button — Copy code (one-time-password type)
  • Validity line — state a real window like 10 minutes
  • Safety line — 'Do not share this code with anyone'

How Meta prices an authentication message

Since Meta moved off per-conversation billing on 1 July 2025, WhatsApp charges per delivered message and the price depends on the template's category. Authentication is one of the cheaper categories, which is a big reason to keep OTP flows on WhatsApp rather than paying rising SMS rates. The 24-hour customer-service window is a free service window for replying to inbound messages — it is not a billing unit, so don't think of these codes as 'per conversation'. Through InfiQ you pay transparent ₹ pricing (ex-GST): you see the current authentication rate for India plus InfiQ's platform pricing before you send, with no surprises at invoice time.

  • Billed per delivered message, by category — not per conversation
  • Authentication sits in a low-cost tier versus marketing
  • The 24-hour window is a free service window, not a billing unit
  • Transparent ₹ pricing, ex-GST

Approval notes to pass Meta review the first time

Submit this template as Authentication — never as Utility or Marketing. Use the standard OTP wording with a copy-code (one-time-password) button and nothing else: no restaurant offers, no 'order now' links, no imagery, and no promotional language, all of which trigger rejection in this category. State a genuine expiry (10 minutes is a sensible default) and include the 'do not share this code' safety line Meta expects. Once approved — usually within a day — the template is reusable for every verification event, and you only re-submit if you change the wording. If you also want to nudge a diner after a successful login, do that with a separate utility or marketing template, keeping this one purely for the code.

  • Category must be Authentication, not Utility or Marketing
  • Copy-code button only — no marketing buttons or links
  • No offers, images or promotional wording in the body
  • Include a real validity window and the safety reminder
  • Re-submit only if you edit the approved copy

Compliant variations you can copy

The core template works as-is, but a few disciplined variations help you match your flow and your diners' language. Trim to the shortest possible code-plus-brand line for the fastest, cleanest delivery. Create a Hindi or regional-language version so the message reads naturally to your local crowd — just submit each language as its own authentication template. If you want to drive action after verification (for example, 'Your table is confirmed, here's tonight's specials'), build that as a separate marketing template with a clear opt-out line such as 'Reply STOP to opt out' — keep it out of this authentication template so your OTP flow stays compliant and low-cost.

  • Shorter: keep only the code, brand and validity line
  • Regional: submit a Hindi or local-language authentication version
  • Follow-up nudge: use a separate marketing template with an opt-out line

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Frequently asked questions

Which category should I submit this template in?+
Authentication. OTP and verification codes belong in Meta's authentication category, which is purpose-built for one-time passwords and sits in a lower price tier than marketing. Submitting it as Utility or Marketing will get it rejected.
Does an OTP template need opt-in?+
Authentication messages are tied to a real action the customer just took — a login, a reset, a checkout — so they aren't promotional blasts. Even so, capture and honour consent for messaging the number, and only send codes the guest actually requested.
Can I edit the wording?+
Yes. You can change the copy — for example, adjust the validity window or translate it — but you must stay within authentication category rules (code, expiry, safety reminder, no promotions) and re-submit the edited template for approval before sending it.
How fast can I start sending codes?+
After the template is approved, which is usually within a day, you can send instantly through InfiQ. Approval is a one-time step; once it's live the same template handles every future verification event.
Why send OTPs on WhatsApp instead of SMS?+
WhatsApp typically gets higher read rates than SMS, delivers the code into the thread diners already use to reach your restaurant, and the copy-code button lets them paste the OTP in one tap — reducing failed logins and abandoned checkouts.
How is an authentication message billed?+
WhatsApp bills per delivered message by category since 1 July 2025. Authentication is a low-cost category. Through InfiQ you pay transparent ₹ pricing (ex-GST), shown before you send. The 24-hour service window is free and is not a billing unit.
What does the [Copy code] button do?+
It's WhatsApp's one-time-password button type. Tapping it copies the OTP straight to the guest's clipboard so they can paste it into your app or checkout without retyping — the fastest, least error-prone way to complete verification.
Can I add my logo or a menu offer to this template?+
No. Authentication templates can't carry images, offers or promotional links — those cause rejection and would push the message into a pricier category. Keep this template purely for the code, and run any promotion through a separate marketing template with an opt-out line.

Verify diners on WhatsApp in one tap

Get this authentication template approved and start sending secure, low-cost OTPs to your restaurant guests within a day — talk to InfiQ, your official Meta Business Partner in India.