STAMPEDE is an AI-powered loyalty and marketing platform for Singapore's F&B industry, starting at $30 per outlet per month. It includes WhatsApp marketing automation with 7 pre-built rules, opt-in compliance, and per-message credit pricing. STAMPEDE AI PTE. LTD. (UEN 202611946M) is headquartered in Singapore.
Every F&B owner in Singapore uses WhatsApp.
Every customer uses WhatsApp. it has 3 billion monthly active users globally.
And yet almost nobody in the hawker centre, cafe, or restaurant space is using WhatsApp as a marketing channel. They're texting their friends. They're sharing the occasional promo in a group chat. But systematic, automated, compliant WhatsApp marketing? Almost nobody.
That's a massive gap. Here's how to close it.
Why WhatsApp beats everything else
One number.
Email open rates in Singapore: 20–25%. SMS open rates: ~45%. WhatsApp open rates: 90%+ (reaching 84% of Singapore's internet users).
Your customer will see a WhatsApp message within hours. Maybe minutes. They might not act on it. But they'll see it.
For F&B businesses. where the decision to eat somewhere happens fast and often on impulse. that visibility is everything. A "we miss you" message with a free appetiser on a Tuesday afternoon doesn't work if the customer reads it on Thursday. WhatsApp makes sure they read it today.
Is it legal? Yes. With rules.
Singapore's Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA) is clear on marketing messages. Here are the rules that matter for F&B:
Opt-in required. You cannot send marketing messages to someone who didn't agree to receive them. The agreement must be explicit. not buried in a paragraph of terms nobody reads.
Opt-out must be easy. One tap. No friction. No "reply STOP to unsubscribe" hoops.
Messages must be relevant. You can't collect a phone number for loyalty and then send them job postings. The messages need to relate to the service they signed up for.
You must identify yourself. The customer needs to know who's messaging them.
That's it. Four rules. Follow them and you're compliant.
STAMPEDE handles all four automatically. Customers opt in during loyalty signup with a clear WhatsApp toggle. They can opt out anytime from their notification settings in the loyalty app. All messages come from branded templates that identify the business. And every message relates to the loyalty program they joined.
The two types of WhatsApp marketing
There's a difference between blasting everyone and being strategic. Both have a place. But one is dramatically more effective.
1. Broadcasts (manual)
You write a message. You pick an audience. You send.
Good for: new menu announcements, holiday specials, one-time promos.
With STAMPEDE, you select from approved WhatsApp templates, choose your audience (all customers, near-milestone, inactive, recent signups), exclude specific numbers (staff, owner, family), test-send to your own phone first, and launch. You see delivery stats after: sent, delivered, read, failed.
Each message costs 5 Sparks. If you have 200 opted-in customers, one broadcast costs 1,000 Sparks.
2. Automations (set once, run forever)
You configure a rule. It fires automatically when conditions are met. You never touch it again.
This is where the real value lives.
STAMPEDE has 7 automation rules built in. Here's each one, what it does, and why it works for F&B:
Near Milestone. Customer is 1–2 stamps from a reward. They get: "You're almost there! One more visit and you've earned a free [reward]." This has the highest conversion rate of any automation because the customer is already invested. They've collected 6 stamps. you're just nudging them to finish. 5 Sparks per message. Dedup: once per milestone per card cycle.
Birthday Reward. Customer shared their birthday? They get a message with a reward coupon 0–7 days before their birthday (you choose). For a restaurant, this drives a birthday dinner booking. For a hawker stall, it brings them back that week. 5 Sparks. Dedup: once per calendar year.
We Miss You. Customer hasn't visited in X days (default 14, configurable). They get an incentive to return. For bubble tea shops, set this to 7 days. For restaurants, 30. For hawker stalls, 14 is about right. 5 Sparks. Dedup: checks message log within the inactive window.
Reward Issued. Customer hits a milestone and earns a coupon. They get a WhatsApp confirming the reward with a direct link to their coupons page. STAMPEDE sponsors this. free for the brand. Dedup: per milestone event.
Coupon Expiry Reminder. 3 days before a coupon expires, the customer gets a nudge. Also free. STAMPEDE sponsors it. Runs daily at 1am UTC, max 100 per batch. Dedup: per coupon claim ID.
Opt-In Confirmed. Customer opts in to WhatsApp. They get a confirmation message. Free (sponsored). One-time per customer.
Referral Thanks. A referred friend signs up and visits. The referrer gets a thank-you message. Free (sponsored). Per referral conversion.
What it costs
Let's do real math.
| Channel | Cost per message | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| 5 Sparks | High-impact automations, broadcasts | |
| Push notification | 1 Spark | Daily nudges, low-urgency reminders |
| Free | Newsletters, reports, receipts | |
| In-app notification | Free | Real-time alerts within the loyalty app |
Sparks are STAMPEDE's universal credit system. You buy them in packs.
Scenario: Hawker stall with 200 loyalty members
- Monthly broadcast to all: 200 × 5 = 1,000 Sparks
- Birthday automations (assume 15/month): 15 × 5 = 75 Sparks
- Near-milestone nudges (assume 30/month): 30 × 5 = 150 Sparks
- We-miss-you (assume 20/month): 20 × 5 = 100 Sparks
- Reward issued, expiry reminders, opt-in confirms: Free (sponsored)
Total: ~1,325 Sparks/month on active automation + one broadcast.
Some messages are free because STAMPEDE sponsors them. reward notifications, expiry reminders, opt-in confirmations, and referral thanks. These fire automatically and don't cost the brand anything.
Common mistakes
Blasting too often. A bubble tea shop can message weekly. A restaurant should message monthly at most. Match frequency to how often your customers actually visit. Over-messaging leads to opt-outs, and opt-outs are permanent. you can't re-engage someone who unsubscribed.
Using personal WhatsApp. Your personal number is not a marketing channel. WhatsApp Business API (which platforms like STAMPEDE use via WhatsApp Business API) supports template-based messaging, delivery tracking, and compliance. Personal WhatsApp has none of this, and Meta can ban your number for bulk messaging.
Skipping the test send. Always send to your own phone first. Check the formatting. Check the variables (does it say the customer's name or "undefined"?). Check the CTA link. STAMPEDE has a test send button on both broadcasts and push coupon campaigns.
Ignoring opt-in rates. If only 10% of your loyalty members are opted in to WhatsApp, your broadcasts reach 10% of your base. Work on opt-in: prompt at signup, prompt at milestone moments, make the value clear ("opt in so you don't miss rewards like this").
Not segmenting. "Send to all" is the laziest broadcast. STAMPEDE lets you filter by: all customers, near milestone, inactive in X days, or recent signups. A "we miss you" message should go to inactive customers. not to the regular who was there yesterday.
How to get started
If you already have STAMPEDE
Go to Campaigns → Automation tab. Toggle on the rules you want. Set your parameters (inactivity days, birthday lead time). Done.
For broadcasts: Campaigns → Broadcast tab. Select template, audience, preview, test send, launch.
If you don't have STAMPEDE yet
Set up free at stampede.sg/signup. The WhatsApp automations are part of the Growth plan ($50/month). You can start collecting loyalty members on the Starter plan ($30/month) and upgrade to Growth when you're ready for WhatsApp.
The loyalty system builds your customer list. WhatsApp marketing activates it. Start with the list.
More on loyalty for different F&B types: AI for Hawker Stalls · AI for Cafes · AI for Restaurants
The data behind why repeat customers spend 67% more and how to systematically bring them back
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does WhatsApp marketing cost for restaurants?
STAMPEDE includes WhatsApp automation in every plan starting at $50 per outlet per month. There are no per-message fees for automated triggers like birthday rewards and milestone notifications.
Do I need the WhatsApp Business API?
No. STAMPEDE handles the WhatsApp integration for you. You don't need to set up the WhatsApp Business API yourself.
How many WhatsApp templates does STAMPEDE have?
STAMPEDE includes 12 WhatsApp templates and 5 SMS templates covering milestone rewards, birthday coupons, win-back campaigns, referral thanks, and more.
Can I send WhatsApp broadcasts to all my customers?
Yes. STAMPEDE supports WhatsApp broadcast campaigns that you can send to your full customer list or targeted segments based on activity level.
What's the open rate for WhatsApp marketing messages?
WhatsApp messages typically see 90%+ open rates, far higher than email (20-30%) or SMS (45-60%). This makes WhatsApp the most effective channel for restaurant customer communication.
Try STAMPEDE free at stampede.sg/signup. No credit card required.