> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.eat-now.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Notifications sent to your customers

> Confirmations, reminders, cancellations, review requests — choosing what your customers receive, by email and WhatsApp.

These are the messages that go **to your customers**, not to be confused with your [team's notifications](/notifications/overview). Everything is under **Settings > Notifications > General**, **Guest** tab.

If you use the Activities feature, two sub-tabs appear — **Restaurant** and **Activities** — with independent settings.

<Note>
  Emails are **free** and included in your subscription. WhatsApp messages are billed per conversation by Meta: see [WhatsApp cost](/whatsapp/cost).
</Note>

## Timing

At the top of the tab, two timing settings (minimum 15 minutes, 1 day by default):

| Setting                                     | What it does                                                |
| ------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Reminder delay (before the reservation)** | How long before the booked time the reminder goes out.      |
| **Follow-up delay (after the reservation)** | How long after the reservation the review request goes out. |

Right below, the **review collection channels** decide where the customer is sent to rate their visit: internal reviews, Google Business, TripAdvisor. Details in [Collecting reviews](/reviews/collect).

<Tip>
  **Reminder:** 24 h before is the right setting for an evening service booked days ahead — the customer has time to warn you if they cancel. For a lunch booked the same morning, drop to 3 h, otherwise the reminder lands after the meal.

  **Follow-up:** wait at least 24 h. A review request arriving during dessert lands badly.
</Tip>

## Emails

The **Email settings** section has a master switch — **Reservation email notifications** — then the detailed list of what can go out. If the master switch is *Inactive*, nothing goes out regardless of the settings below.

Messages available for reservations:

| Message                        | Sent to the customer…                                         |
| ------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Reservation inquiry            | when they send a request to approve                           |
| Reservation confirmation       | when their reservation is confirmed                           |
| Reservation rejection          | when their request is declined                                |
| Reservation modification       | when their reservation is modified                            |
| Cancellation by the customer   | when they cancel themselves                                   |
| Cancellation by the restaurant | when you cancel                                               |
| Double confirmation            | to ask them to re-confirm they are coming                     |
| Reservation reminder           | before their visit, using the delay set above                 |
| Payment link                   | with a link to pay their deposit or booking                   |
| Reservation expired            | when their reservation expires unpaid                         |
| No-show                        | when they are marked absent — with the amount charged, if any |
| Card imprint released          | when you release their imprint, with the amount               |
| Refund                         | when they are refunded                                        |
| Reservation follow-up          | after their visit, to ask for a review                        |

Activities have the same list, adapted: inquiry, confirmation, rejection, modification, cancellation, payment link, expiry, no-show, refund and reminder.

The **Select all** button turns everything on at once; remember to **Save** at the bottom of the section.

<Tip>
  **The bare minimum:** Confirmation, Reminder and Cancellation by the restaurant. A customer who gets no confirmation calls to check, and a customer who gets no reminder does not show up.

  Turn **Card imprint released** on as soon as you take imprints: it is the message that prevents the worried call from a customer seeing money held on their account.
</Tip>

## WhatsApp messages

The **WhatsApp settings** section mirrors the exact same list, for customers whose number you have. It only appears when a WhatsApp Business account is connected — otherwise a card offers to connect one.

<Warning>
  Two conditions for a WhatsApp message to actually go out: the switch must be on **and** a matching template must be approved by Meta under **Settings > Notifications > WhatsApp templates**. Without an approved template, only the email goes out. See [WhatsApp templates](/whatsapp/templates).
</Warning>

Both channels are independent and add up: a customer you only have an email for gets the email, a customer you only have a number for gets WhatsApp, a customer you have both for gets both. If that duplication bothers you, turn the email off on the rows you already send over WhatsApp.

## Customizing the content

The wording and layout of the messages are edited elsewhere:

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Email templates" icon="mail" href="/marketing/templates">
    **Settings > Notifications > Email templates** — replace the standard EatNow model with your own, per message category.
  </Card>

  <Card title="WhatsApp templates" icon="brand-whatsapp" href="/whatsapp/templates">
    **Settings > Notifications > WhatsApp templates** — create your models and get them approved by Meta.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>