From today, Just Eat customers in the UK can browse and order their favourite takeaway right on WhatsApp.
In a UK first, Just Eat has launched its custom-built AI-powered service, which allows customers to order from any of its 100,000 UK partners directly through WhatsApp. The new feature allows customers to message requests, receive tailored recommendations, as well as select items and customise their order. The Just Eat app is used only for the final, secure payment step.
Whether it’s “I need dinner for four, with veggie options” or “Find me the best burgers nearby”, customers can chat just like they would with friends or family to receive tailored suggestions before completing their purchase securely in the Just Eat app.
With millions of people in the UK using WhatsApp each day, the launch brings ordering to the fingertips of consumers in an easier format than ever before.
Powered by in-house AI
The integration is powered by Just Eat’s in-house built AI assistant, the same technology behind the platform’s AI voice ordering feature, which launched in the UK in January. The technology has been built to interpret natural, conversational requests and deliver tailored recommendations, and is constantly being developed and refined by Just Eat’s expert team of developers. This new feature also follows the rollout of robot deliveries in specific regions across the UK earlier in the year.
Jörg Gerbig, chief corporate development officer at Just Eat Takeaway.com, said: “As convenience becomes ever more important, we’ve been finding new ways to meet customers where they already are. WhatsApp is one of the UK’s most popular apps and this development, powered by our AI assistant, means our customers can access our thousands of partners across retail and grocery, all through sending a few messages. Whether it’s ordering a Saturday night pizza on the way home from a family day out, or last-minute ingredients for a dinner party, browsing and selecting your orders is quicker and easier than ever before.”
Derya Matras, vice president, EMEA at Meta, said: “We’re delighted that Just Eat Takeaway.com continues to pioneer conversational commerce on WhatsApp across Europe. After becoming the first food delivery platform in the region to launch direct ordering on WhatsApp in Spain, it’s exciting to see this experience now roll out to the UK – one of Europe’s largest delivery markets. This expansion shows how WhatsApp is becoming the go-to platform for businesses to meet consumers where they already are, turning everyday conversations into seamless commerce moments.”
The UK launch follows initial trials in Spain, the first example of the app being used for ordering in Europe. These launches follow global rapid adoption of WhatsApp as more than just a messaging service, with consumers increasingly using WhatsApp to interact with businesses, and access customer support channels.
