An order ready for pickup message tells the customer their food is packed and waiting, where to collect it, and what to say at the counter. Cafes, sweet shops, bakeries and any restaurant that offers self-pickup send it the moment the order is packed, and a reminder if it sits uncollected. The one thing that makes it work is tying it to "packed", not "almost done". A customer who arrives on a "ready" message and then waits ten minutes at the counter will not trust the next one, and the whole point of pickup is that nobody waits.
Two or three lines: order ID, where to collect, what to show. Add how long you will hold the order, because hot food and counter space both have limits. For pre-ordered items such as cakes, send a "ready at [Time]" on the day rather than a surprise "ready now". If someone else is collecting, confirm their name so the counter knows who to hand it to. These are service messages on a live order, so no separate opt-in is needed. For the message that comes before this one, use the order confirmation templates.
Order ready for pickup (standard)
Hi [Name], order [Order ID] is packed and ready at [Restaurant], [Pickup Point]. Give your name or the order ID at the counter. We will keep it ready for the next 30 minutes.
नमस्ते [Name], आपका order [Order ID] pack होकर [Restaurant], [Pickup Point] पर तैयार है। Counter पर अपना नाम या order ID बता दें। अगले 30 मिनट तक हम इसे तैयार रखेंगे।Ready, with directions and parking
Hi [Name], order [Order ID] is ready for pickup. We are at [Address], next to [Landmark]. Two-wheelers can park in front; cars can stop at [Parking Spot] for 5 minutes. Map: [Link].
नमस्ते [Name], आपका order [Order ID] pickup के लिए तैयार है। हम [Address] पर हैं, [Landmark] के बगल में। Two-wheeler सामने लगा सकते हैं, car [Parking Spot] पर 5 मिनट रोक सकते हैं। Map: [Link]।Ready, prepaid, with a collection code
Hi [Name], order [Order ID] is ready and already paid. Your pickup code is [Code]. Tell the counter the code and the order is yours, no need to show your phone.
नमस्ते [Name], आपका order [Order ID] तैयार है और payment हो चुकी है। आपका pickup code [Code] है। Counter पर code बता दें, order मिल जाएगा, phone दिखाने की ज़रूरत नहीं।Ready, amount to be paid at the counter
Hi [Name], order [Order ID] is ready at [Pickup Point]. Amount to pay at the counter: ₹[Amount], by cash or UPI. We will keep it ready for the next 30 minutes.
नमस्ते [Name], आपका order [Order ID] [Pickup Point] पर तैयार है। Counter पर देना है: ₹[Amount], cash या UPI से। अगले 30 मिनट तक तैयार रहेगा।First collection reminder (uncollected after 15 minutes)
Hi [Name], a reminder that order [Order ID] is still waiting at [Pickup Point]. It was packed at [Time]. Reply if you are running late and we will keep it aside for you.
नमस्ते [Name], याद दिला दें कि आपका order [Order ID] अभी भी [Pickup Point] पर रखा है। [Time] बजे pack हुआ था। Late हो रहे हों तो reply करें, हम अलग रख देंगे।Second reminder with a hold limit
Hi [Name], order [Order ID] has been ready since [Time]. We can hold it until [Deadline]; after that we cannot promise it will be fresh and may have to cancel it. Please let us know.
नमस्ते [Name], आपका order [Order ID] [Time] से तैयार रखा है। हम इसे [Deadline] तक रख सकते हैं, उसके बाद fresh रहने की guarantee नहीं दे पाएँगे और cancel करना पड़ सकता है। कृपया बता दें।Pre-order pickup, ready at a set time on the day
Hi [Name], your pre-order [Order ID] ([Item]) will be ready for pickup today at [Time] at [Pickup Point]. Please bring a flat bag or box, it travels best kept level. Reply if you need to shift the time.
नमस्ते [Name], आपका pre-order [Order ID] ([Item]) आज [Time] बजे [Pickup Point] पर pickup के लिए तैयार होगा। कृपया flat bag या box लाएँ, इसे सीधा रखना ठीक रहता है। Time बदलना हो तो reply करें।Someone else is collecting
Hi [Name], noted that [Collector Name] will collect order [Order ID]. We will hand it over when they give the order ID or your name. If this changes, reply here before [Time].
नमस्ते [Name], note कर लिया कि order [Order ID] [Collector Name] लेकर जाएँगे। Order ID या आपका नाम बताने पर हम उन्हें दे देंगे। कुछ बदले तो [Time] से पहले यहीं reply करें।Collected, thank you and review request
Thanks for collecting order [Order ID], [Name]. If anything is missing, reply here right away and we will fix it. How was it? Rate your order: [Link].
[Name], order [Order ID] लेने के लिए शुक्रिया। कुछ कम हो तो तुरंत यहीं reply करें, हम ठीक करेंगे। कैसा लगा? यहाँ rating दें: [Link]।Closing soon, please collect
Hi [Name], we close at [Closing Time] today and order [Order ID] is still here. Please collect it by then. If you cannot make it, reply and we will either keep it for tomorrow morning or cancel it.
नमस्ते [Name], आज हम [Closing Time] पर बंद कर देंगे और आपका order [Order ID] अभी यहीं है। कृपया उससे पहले ले लें। नहीं आ पाएँगे तो reply करें, कल सुबह के लिए रख लेंगे या cancel कर देंगे।Ready at a different outlet or counter than usual
Hi [Name], order [Order ID] is ready at our [Outlet Name] outlet, [Address], not the [Usual Outlet] one. Ask for it at the [Counter] counter. Map: [Link].
नमस्ते [Name], आपका order [Order ID] हमारे [Outlet Name] outlet पर तैयार है, [Address], [Usual Outlet] वाले पर नहीं। [Counter] counter पर पूछ लें। Map: [Link]।Tips for sending these on WhatsApp
- Send "ready" only when the bag is sealed and at the counter. One early message costs you the trust of every message after it.
- Say how long you will hold the order, every time. It sets the customer's pace without sounding like a warning.
- Put the pickup point's name and a landmark in the message even for regulars. The message often gets forwarded to whoever is driving.
- Stop at two reminders. After that, one phone call, then decide whether to keep or cancel.
- On Tezzu, self-pickup points are set up with a collection time, so the customer chooses pickup and a time while ordering, and the order shows as a pickup order in the dashboard and the staff app, separate from deliveries. The setup is covered in self-pickup points in Tezzu.
Frequently asked questions
How do I tell a customer their order is ready for pickup?
Send a short WhatsApp message on the same chat as the order with the order ID, the pickup point, what to say at the counter and how long you will hold it. Send it when the order is actually packed. If payment is pending, put the amount and the accepted methods in the same message so there is no surprise at the counter.
How long should a restaurant hold a pickup order?
Thirty minutes is a common limit for hot food, longer for sweets, cakes and packaged items. Say the limit in the ready message, send one reminder at 15 minutes and a second with a firm deadline. After that, call once. Whatever you decide, apply it consistently, because customers learn your habits and plan around them.
Can I take pickup orders on WhatsApp?
Yes. In the simplest setup the customer messages the order and you confirm a time by hand. An ordering platform makes it cleaner: the customer picks pickup instead of delivery, chooses a collection time, pays by UPI or card or at the counter, and your staff see it as a pickup order with no delivery charge. The post on adding self-pickup orders walks through it.