WhatsApp chatbot · Malta & Gozo
WhatsApp chatbot
for Malta businesses.
Answered in seconds.
Customers in Malta message businesses on WhatsApp at all hours. A WhatsApp chatbot answers them in seconds, collects the details you need, books them in and passes the tricky ones to your team.
Short answer: A WhatsApp chatbot answers customers on WhatsApp in seconds, collects their details, books them in and hands over to a person when needed. Malta Digital builds WhatsApp chatbots for businesses in Malta and Gozo on Meta’s official WhatsApp Business Platform, in English with approved Maltese answers, connected to your booking system or CRM. Each chatbot is priced per project after scoping.
Reviewed by Johnny M, founder of Malta Digital · Updated 2 November 2026 · Part of our AI automation in Malta service
What it does
What a WhatsApp chatbot
does for you.
It takes the repeat work out of WhatsApp, so your team spends time on the customers who need a person.
Answers common questions
Opening hours, prices, location, parking and what to bring, answered from information you approve.
Collects the details
Name, service, date, area or budget, asked one question at a time, so nobody has to chase them later.
Books and reschedules
It checks real availability in your booking system or calendar, offers slots and confirms the booking.
Sends reminders
Booking confirmations and reminders go out as approved templates, which helps cut no-shows.
Hands over to a person
Complaints, special requests and anything it is unsure about go to your team, with a short summary.
Updates your CRM
New contacts, chats and bookings are saved to your CRM, tagged and assigned to the right person.
Scripted demo
Try a WhatsApp
chatbot conversation.
Tap the buttons to see how a chatbot for a restaurant could answer, book and hand over. It runs in your browser and is not a live bot.
Demo Kitchen Scripted demo · a made-up business
Demo: a scripted example that runs in your browser. It is not a live chatbot, it is not connected to WhatsApp, and it sends and books nothing.
English and Maltese
English, Maltese
and a person.
Most customers in Malta write in English, some in Maltese, and many mix the two. A chatbot has to cope with all three without guessing.
How we handle languages
- English answers for everything you approve.
- Maltese answers written with you and approved by you, for the questions you choose.
- Mixed or harder Maltese messages go straight to a person, because AI is less reliable in free-text Maltese.
- Other languages for tourists, where it helps your business.
Official rules, checked today
The WhatsApp rules
your chatbot must follow.
We opened Meta’s pricing documentation, the WhatsApp Business Messaging Policy and Meta’s FAQ on 2 November 2026. This is what they mean for a chatbot.
| Rule | What it means for your chatbot | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Customers must opt in | You can only message people who gave you their number and agreed to hear from you on WhatsApp. The chatbot can collect and record that opt-in. | WhatsApp Business Messaging Policy |
| 24-hour customer service window | When a customer messages you, a 24-hour window opens. Inside it the chatbot can reply freely. Outside it, you can only send approved message templates. | Meta pricing documentation |
| A clear way to reach a person | Automation is allowed inside the 24-hour window, but there must be a prompt, clear and direct way to a person, such as in-chat transfer, phone or email. | WhatsApp Business Messaging Policy |
| Per-message pricing | Meta charges per message delivered, by type (marketing, utility, authentication, service) and the customer’s country. Messages customers send you are free. | Meta pricing documentation |
| 1,000 free service messages | Since 1 October 2026 service replies are charged per message, but each business phone number gets its first 1,000 service messages free every month. | Meta pricing documentation |
| Free entry point window | When a chat starts from a Click to WhatsApp ad, Meta does not charge for the business’s marketing, utility, authentication or service messages in that window. | Meta pricing documentation |
| General-purpose AI assistants | Since 15 January 2026 Meta’s terms restrict AI providers from offering general-purpose assistants on the platform. A chatbot that serves your own customers is a different case. | Meta developer documentation |
| Tell people it is AI | Under the EU AI Act, people should be told when they talk to an AI system. This applies from 2 August 2026. | EU AI Act |
Savings calculator
How much time could
a chatbot save you?
Type your own numbers. There are no averages or benchmarks built in.
WhatsApp chatbot time-savings calculator
Use your own numbers. Nothing you type is sent anywhere.
This calculator needs JavaScript. The sum is simple: chats a week × 52 ÷ 12 × your % × minutes ÷ 60 = hours a month.
App or Business Platform
Is the free WhatsApp
Business app enough?
Often it is, for a few chats a day. A chatbot makes sense when the same questions and bookings take hours every week.
| WhatsApp Business app | Chatbot on the Business Platform | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to start | Free app | Built per project, plus Meta’s per-message fees |
| Automatic replies | Greeting and away messages, quick replies | Answers questions, asks follow-ups, books and updates records |
| Bookings | Done by hand in the chat | Real free slots from your booking system or calendar |
| Your CRM | Copied by hand | New contacts and chats saved automatically |
| Reminders | Sent by hand | Approved templates, sent on time |
| Best for | A few chats a day, handled by one person | Many repeat questions, bookings and evenings or weekends |
How we build it
From your questions
to a live chatbot.
Map the chats
We look at real questions you get on WhatsApp and pick the ones worth automating.
Write and approve answers
You approve every answer, in English and Maltese, plus the rules for handing over.
Connect and test
We connect your number to the Business Platform and your booking system or CRM, then your team tests real conversations.
Go live and improve
We check what customers ask, fix weak answers and track bookings and time saved.
Price
What a WhatsApp
chatbot costs.
We price each WhatsApp chatbot per project after scoping, so you get a clear quotation before any work starts. When the chatbot is part of a custom booking system or CRM, custom systems start from €7,500.
What affects the price
- How many questions and booking rules it handles.
- Languages, including approved Maltese answers.
- The systems it connects to: booking, calendar, CRM.
- Running costs paid to others: Meta’s message fees and AI usage.
A larger project may be part-funded. See the AI grant guide.
Case study
Bookings from chat,
in one system.
A skip hire business took bookings by phone, Messenger, a Facebook “Book now” button and a contact form. Each one needed back-and-forth to get the address, dates and skip size. We built one booking and dispatch system with views for customers, the office and drivers.
It is now being rolled out, so there are no results to share yet. The screens show sample data and the client’s name is withheld.
A few straight answers
WhatsApp chatbot
questions, answered.
How much does a WhatsApp chatbot cost in Malta?
We price each WhatsApp chatbot per project after scoping, because it depends on the questions it answers, the languages and the systems it connects to. When the chatbot is part of a custom booking system or CRM, custom systems start from €7,500. Meta’s message fees are paid to Meta and are separate.
Is a WhatsApp chatbot allowed by Meta?
Yes, on the official WhatsApp Business Platform, if customers have opted in and there is a clear way to reach a person. Since 15 January 2026 Meta’s terms restrict general-purpose AI assistants on the platform. A business using a chatbot to serve its own customers is a different case.
Can the chatbot reply in Maltese?
Yes, for the questions you choose. We write the Maltese answers with you and you approve them. AI is less reliable in free-text Maltese than in English, so harder Maltese messages go straight to a person.
Can a WhatsApp chatbot book appointments or tables?
Yes. It offers real free slots from your booking system or calendar, confirms the booking and sends a reminder the day before, using an approved template.
Do I need the WhatsApp Business API for a chatbot?
For a chatbot that connects to your booking system or CRM, yes. The API is now called the WhatsApp Business Platform. The free WhatsApp Business app has greeting and away messages and quick replies, but it does not connect to your own systems.
What does Meta charge for WhatsApp messages?
Meta charges per message delivered, by message type and the customer’s country. Messages customers send you are free. Each business phone number gets 1,000 free service messages a month, and chats that start from a Click to WhatsApp ad open a free window.
Do customers have to be told they are talking to a bot?
Yes. Under the EU AI Act, people should be told when they talk to an AI system. This applies from 2 August 2026, so our chatbots say so in the first message.
Can a person take over the chat?
Always. WhatsApp’s Business Messaging Policy requires a clear way to reach a person when you use automation. Customers can ask for a person, and your staff can step in at any time.
Does it work with Click to WhatsApp ads?
Yes. We also run Facebook and Instagram ads, so the ad, the chatbot and the follow-up are planned together. Meta does not charge for the business’s messages in the free entry point window that such an ad opens.
A useful first step
Want WhatsApp chats answered in seconds?
Tell us what customers ask you on WhatsApp and how you take bookings today. We’ll reply with an honest view of what a chatbot should do, and whether it is worth it for you.
Step 1 of 3
Apply now for a WhatsApp chatbot
A few quick questions, about a minute. We usually reply within 2–3 hours.