EssentialEntrepreneurshipBeginner Version française

Selling on WhatsApp: catalog, orders and payments

Your WhatsApp Business shop ready to sell in 7 days, with a catalog, quick replies and verified payments

  • 5 h of training
  • 3 modules · 13 lessons
  • 30 exercises
  • 1 project
  • Certificate included

What you will be able to do

  • Set up and manage a WhatsApp Business account for a shop
  • Build and maintain a WhatsApp product catalog with collections
  • Handle a WhatsApp order from first request to confirmation using quick replies
  • Track orders with labels and a Google Sheets order book
  • Collect payments through Wave and Orange Money and verify them with no risk of fake screenshots

What you will produce

  • Your WhatsApp Business account set up, with a wa.me link and a printable QR code
  • Your catalog of at least 10 products organized into 2 or 3 collections
  • Your greeting and away messages and your 5 quick replies saved
  • Your 5 tracking labels and your 6-column Google Sheets order book
  • Your payment policy written in 5 lines (Wave, Orange Money, cash on delivery, deposit, verification)
  • Your Status and broadcast list plan for the next 7 days

Possible earnings

A well-run WhatsApp shop often handles 5 to 15 orders a week at the start, which means 150,000 to 600,000 FCFA (about $250 to $1,000) in monthly revenue depending on the average order value (a range observed in Dakar in 2026; your results depend on your product, your prices and how consistent you are).

Indicative estimate, depending on your market, pace and work. No income is guaranteed.

Tools used

  • WhatsApp Business
  • Wave
  • Orange Money
  • Google Sheets
  • Canva

What you'll learn

  • Set up a complete WhatsApp Business account on a dedicated number: profile, business hours, delivery area, short link and QR code
  • Publish a catalog of at least 10 products with a photo, a price in FCFA and a description, organized into collections
  • Save a greeting message, an away message and at least five quick replies so you can answer in under a minute
  • Track every order from first request to delivery with five labels and a Google Sheets order book
  • Collect payment through Wave, Orange Money or cash on delivery, checking every payment in the app before shipping
  • Follow up with your customers through Status updates and broadcast lists without being reported as spam

Prerequisites

  • An Android phone or iPhone and a reliable internet connection
  • Ideally a second SIM card (Orange, Free or Expresso) for the shop number; lesson 1 explains how to manage without one
  • No online selling experience required: this is the first level of the track

About this course

Your customers message you on WhatsApp. That is where they ask for prices, send a screenshot of their payment and share their delivery address. But between family messages, answering "how much is it?" twenty times a day and keeping orders in your head, some of your sales slip away. This short course teaches you to run your WhatsApp like a real shop, using the free WhatsApp Business app and your phone. You move to a dedicated number, complete your shop profile and publish a catalog of at least 10 products with photos and prices. You set up greeting and away messages, plus quick replies that save you from typing the same sentences over and over. You track every order with labels and a 6-column Google Sheets order book. You collect payment through Wave, Orange Money or cash on delivery, and you check every payment in the app itself rather than trusting a screenshot. Three modules, ten 15-minute lessons, a hands-on exercise applied to your own business after each lesson, a PDF handout and a quiz for each module. The final project is your working WhatsApp shop, reviewed and graded. The examples are fictional and set in Dakar, Pikine, Thiès and Abidjan, with amounts in FCFA. This is level 1 of the E-commerce and online selling track, and it has no prerequisites. Afterwards, the level 2 course "E-commerce: selling online in Senegal" goes further into pricing, delivery to other regions and to the diaspora, and other sales channels (Facebook, Instagram, Google).

Who it is for: Shop owners, home-based sellers, creators, resellers and small stores in Dakar, Thiès, Saint-Louis, Abidjan, Bamako or Cotonou who already sell a little on WhatsApp, or want to start, and who lose time and orders because they have no method.

Curriculum

A module-by-module path: lessons, exercises, quizzes and projects to submit.

  1. Module 1· 12 exercises

    Turning WhatsApp Business into a real shop

    Move to a shop number, complete your profile, publish a 10-product catalog and get your link out there.

    • Moving from personal WhatsApp to WhatsApp Business: dedicated number, name, category and a complete profileFree preview15 min
    • Build your catalog: 10 products with a photo, a price in FCFA, a description and collectionsFree preview15 min
    • Greeting message, away message and quick replies: a shop that answers even when you are busyFree preview15 min
    • wa.me link, QR code and launch Status: getting your shop number knownFree preview15 min
    • Module handout (PDF)Free preview5 min
    • Quiz: WhatsApp Business as a shopModule quiz

  2. Module 2· 9 exercises

    Taking and tracking orders without losing any

    Take every conversation through to a confirmed order and know at any moment where each customer stands.

    • The four-message order conversation: product, delivered price, address, confirmation15 min
    • Five labels to track every customer: New request, Awaiting payment, Paid, To deliver, Delivered15 min
    • A 6-column Google Sheets order book, filled in 30 seconds per order15 min
    • Module handout (PDF)5 min
    • Quiz: taking and tracking ordersModule quiz

  3. Module 3· 9 exercises

    Collecting payment safely and bringing customers back

    Collect payment through Wave, Orange Money or cash on delivery with no fake screenshots, then follow up through Status updates and broadcast lists.

    • Getting paid with Wave and Orange Money: merchant QR code, check the payment in the app, never on a screenshot15 min
    • Cash on delivery or deposit: a simple rule based on the amount and the customer15 min
    • Status and broadcast lists: follow up without getting blocked or reported15 min
    • Module handout (PDF)5 min
    • Quiz: get paid and bring customers backModule quiz
    • Final project: your working WhatsApp shop in 7 daysCapstone

  4. Certificate included

Your certificate at the end

A numbered certificate with your validated skills, a public page and a verification QR code. Add it to LinkedIn in one click.

Kolonell Academy
Verified by Kolonell Academy

Certificate of skills

Your name

has completed and validated the course

Selling on WhatsApp: catalog, orders and payments

Certified skills

  • Set up and manage a WhatsApp Business account for a shop
  • Build and maintain a WhatsApp product catalog with collections
  • Handle a WhatsApp order from first request to confirmation using quick replies
  • Track orders with labels and a Google Sheets order book
  • Collect payments through Wave and Orange Money and verify them with no risk of fake screenshots

Number KOL-CERT-2026-XXXXX

Mohamed Bah

Founder, Kolonell Academy

Poster for Selling on WhatsApp: catalog, orders and payments

Course poster

Download the poster to print it, send it to your employer or share it with colleagues. The full programme details every module.

Download PNGDownload PDFFull programme (PDF)

This course is part of the track

E-commerce et vente en ligne

Level 1 of 5 · Essential

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5
See the 5 track levels

Next level · 2/5 Practical

E-commerce: selling online in Senegal and French-speaking Africa

A working system in your business

Your first online order paid through Wave within 30 days, with no website and no ad budget

50,000 FCFA 12 h

View the next level

Your instructor

Mohamed Bah

Founder of Kolonell, a digital agency in Dakar. He designs online stores, websites and business applications for SMEs in Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire and Dubai, and supports merchants as they move from over-the-counter sales to selling online.

Questions about this course

Does WhatsApp Business cost anything?

No. The WhatsApp Business app is free on Android and iPhone. Only some advanced Meta options (the Meta Verified subscription, ads that click through to WhatsApp) are paid, and you do not need any of them for this course.

Do I need to change my number?

It is recommended: a SIM card dedicated to your shop costs a few hundred francs and keeps your customers separate from your family. Lesson 1 also explains how to convert your current number without losing your chats if you would rather keep it.

I don't have any stock yet. Can I still take the course?

Yes. You can build your catalog with 10 pre-order products or products supplied by a wholesaler, and simulate your first orders in the order book. This is accepted for the final project, as long as you say so.

How much time should I plan for?

About 5 hours in total: ten 15-minute lessons, their exercises and the final project. Many learners complete it in one week, at 45 minutes a day.

How is this different from the level 2 E-commerce course?

This level 1 course focuses on WhatsApp: the tool, the orders and the payments. Level 2 then teaches you to set prices that leave a margin, deliver to other regions and to the diaspora, and also sell on Facebook, Instagram and Google.

Does the method work outside Senegal?

Yes. The examples use Wave and Orange Money, which operate in Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire and Mali. In Benin or Cameroon, use MTN Mobile Money or Moov Money instead: the verification rule stays exactly the same.

How do I pay?

Via Wave or Orange Money. After enrolling you receive a pro forma invoice by email with the number to pay. Send the proof on WhatsApp: your access is activated within 24 business hours.

How long do I keep access?

For life, updates included. Learn at your own pace and revisit lessons as often as you need.

How do I get the certificate?

Complete the lessons and pass each module quiz with at least 70%. The certificate is generated automatically, with a unique number and a public verification page.

Our commitments

  • Lifetime access, updates included
  • Publicly verifiable certificate
  • Wave / Orange Money payment, activation within 24 business hours
  • WhatsApp support

25,000 FCFA · 38 €

Essential