Policy

WhatsApp messaging and consent policy

How StayRated sends WhatsApp messages to guests and owners, how guests agree to receive them, and how to stop them. Written for guests, homestay owners and reviewers.

Last updated:

Who sends the messages

Messages are sent by the homestay you stayed at, through StayRated. The homestay owner sets up their property on StayRated, and we send the messages on their behalf from our WhatsApp Business account, operated by [LEGAL NAME - TO FILL]. Each message names the property it comes from.

The only purpose is to ask about your stay, pass on anything you need during it, and invite you to share your experience. We never send promotions, marketing offers or messages unrelated to your stay.

Messages guests receive

A guest who opts in receives at most these messages for each stay:

  1. Welcome (optional) guest_welcome
    When: Right after opting in, if the owner turns it on.
  2. Rating request review_request
    When: Once, a few hours after checkout.
  3. Thank you with Google review link review_link
    When: Once, after the guest gives a rating. Every guest gets the same link, whatever rating they gave.
  4. Reminder review_reminder
    When: At most once, about a day after the rating request, only if there was no reply.

That is a maximum of four messages per stay, and usually two or three. If the guest replies with a question or comment, the reply is passed to the owner and the owner may respond. No promotions or marketing offers are ever sent.

Opting out

  • Reply STOP to any message at any time.
  • It takes effect immediately.
  • You get one message confirming you have opted out.
  • After that, you receive no further messages from that property through StayRated.

Quiet hours

We do not send messages between 9pm and 8am IST. Any message that would fall in that window waits until 8am.

Guest message templates

These are the exact templates we use, as approved by WhatsApp. Variables like {{1}} are filled in for each guest. Below each template is an example with sample values.

review_request

Rating request, sent once after checkout

Template

Hi {{1}}, thank you for staying with us at {{2}}. We hope you had a comfortable stay. How would you rate your experience? Just tap an option below.

1 star2 stars3 stars4 stars5 stars

Variables: {{1}} guest first name, {{2}} property name

Example with sample values

HHillview Homestayexample conversation
Hi Priya, thank you for staying with us at Hillview Homestay. We hope you had a comfortable stay. How would you rate your experience? Just tap an option below.
1 star2 stars3 stars4 stars5 stars
11:42

Thank you with Google review link, sent once after a rating

Template

Thank you for your feedback, {{1}}! If you have a minute, we'd love for you to share your experience on Google. It helps other travellers and means a lot to a small homestay like ours. If you'd rather tell us privately, just reply to this message.

Review on Google

Variables: {{1}} guest first name

Example with sample values

HHillview Homestayexample conversation
Thank you for your feedback, Priya! If you have a minute, we'd love for you to share your experience on Google. It helps other travellers and means a lot to a small homestay like ours. If you'd rather tell us privately, just reply to this message.↗ Review on Google11:42

review_reminder

Reminder, sent at most once if there is no reply

Template

Hi {{1}}, a quick reminder from {{2}}. If you have a moment, we'd really value a rating of your recent stay. Tap an option below.

1 star2 stars3 stars4 stars5 stars

Variables: {{1}} guest first name, {{2}} property name

Example with sample values

HHillview Homestayexample conversation
Hi Priya, a quick reminder from Hillview Homestay. If you have a moment, we'd really value a rating of your recent stay. Tap an option below.
1 star2 stars3 stars4 stars5 stars
11:42

guest_welcome

Optional welcome, sent right after opt-in

Template

Hi {{1}}, welcome to {{2}}! This is your host's WhatsApp assistant. If you need anything during your stay, just reply here and we'll pass it on. We'll also check in with you after checkout.

Variables: {{1}} guest first name, {{2}} property name

Example with sample values

HHillview Homestayexample conversation
Hi Priya, welcome to Hillview Homestay! This is your host's WhatsApp assistant. If you need anything during your stay, just reply here and we'll pass it on. We'll also check in with you after checkout.11:42

Messages to owners

Owner messages are sent only to the WhatsApp number of the owner who registered the property with StayRated. They are never sent to guests.

owner_low_rating_alert

Low-rating alert, sent when a guest rates 1, 2 or 3

Template

Guest feedback alert for {{1}}: {{2}} (stay {{3}}) rated their stay {{4}} out of 5. {{5}} Please reach out to them soon so the issue can be resolved.

Variables: {{1}} property name, {{2}} guest first name, {{3}} stay dates, {{4}} rating, {{5}} guest note, if any

Example with sample values

SStayRatedexample
Guest feedback alert for Hillview Homestay: Priya (stay 1 to 3 Oct) rated their stay 2 out of 5. Their note: “Hot water was not working.” Please reach out to them soon so the issue can be resolved.11:42

Weekly summary

Sent once a week to the owner, if they turn it on

example

SStayRatedexample
Weekly summary for Hillview Homestay (22 to 28 Sep): 6 guests were asked for a rating and 5 replied. Average rating: 4.6 out of 5. 1 low-rating alert was sent. See details in your dashboard.09:00

Contact and deletion

Questions about these messages? Email hello@stayrated.co or see our contact page.

To stop messages and delete your data, reply STOP and follow our data deletion instructions, or email privacy@stayrated.co.

See also our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.