Frequently Asked Questions

What is Behaf?

Behaf is AI sales for D2C brands. Aria, our AI salesperson, sells to your buyers inside WhatsApp: she suggests the right product, handles “last price?” within your discount rule, and takes the payment or confirms COD. Your store lives inside WhatsApp, with PayU payments and Shiprocket pickups built in. If a buyer needs a person, they raise a request and your team connects with them on your own WhatsApp or by email.

Who is Behaf for?

Behaf is built for D2C and Instagram-first brands (fashion, jewellery, wellness, food, and lifestyle) who want to sell on WhatsApp without managing DMs, payments, and shipping themselves.

How is Behaf different from traditional marketplaces?

On a marketplace, you compete with thousands of other brands on price and lose your customer relationship to the platform's algorithm. On Behaf, your store, your products, and your customer data stay yours, we're the infrastructure behind your brand, not a marketplace you compete inside.

Doesn't WhatsApp Business already do this?

The WhatsApp catalog shows your products. Behaf gives your buyer a full storefront inside WhatsApp and puts an AI sales agent in front of it that answers, recommends, takes the payment through PayU or confirms COD, and books the Shiprocket pickup. See WhatsApp catalog vs a Behaf store side by side.

Which product categories does Behaf work for?

Anything physical you can ship: jewellery, fashion, skincare, wellness, food, pet care, home décor, handcrafts and kidswear. It suits categories where buyers ask questions before they buy, because that is the part the AI sales agent takes off you.

Do I need a website?

No. Behaf gives you a complete storefront that lives inside WhatsApp, customers browse, ask questions, and buy without ever needing a separate website or app. Our WhatsApp commerce guide explains the options in India.

Does Behaf charge brands to join?

No. Onboarding is free, no setup fees and no monthly fee to sell.

How much does Behaf charge?

5% + ₹5 + 18% GST per shipped order. This is the Founding 100 rate, locked for life for the first 100 brands. After that, new brands pay 10% + ₹5 + GST. Meta's message charges, the AI and the payment gateway are inside the fee. You only pay this when an order ships. COD confirmation is included. See pricing for worked examples.

When do I get paid for a sale?

7 days after a prepaid order. Prepaid buyer payments are collected through PayU and paid out to your bank account 7 days after the order, minus Behaf's fee. COD cash comes to you directly through your Shiprocket account, and Behaf's fee on COD orders is taken from your next prepaid payout.

Do I need GST to sell on Behaf?

Every new store passes store verification before using the dashboard. We take you through what your business needs for it when you apply.

Is the fee charged if an order is returned or undelivered?

Yes, once an order ships. The 5% + ₹5 + GST fee applies to every shipped order, including ones that are later returned or come back undelivered. An order cancelled before it ships costs nothing.

Who pays for shipping and returns?

You do, through your own Shiprocket account. Forward shipping and any return-to-origin charges come from your Shiprocket wallet at Shiprocket's rates. Behaf books the courier and sends tracking for you.

Where is my money held before I get paid?

Buyer payments are collected through PayU and paid out to your bank account 7 days after a prepaid order, minus Behaf's fee.

How does cash on delivery work?

Buyers can choose cash on delivery in the chat. The cash is collected by the courier through Shiprocket and handled under your Shiprocket account. Behaf confirms COD orders with the buyer before they ship, so fewer come back. Our COD RTO playbook explains the confirmation flow, and our guide to COD order confirmation on WhatsApp has English and Hinglish scripts.

Which languages does the AI sales agent speak?

English, Hindi, Hinglish, Tamil and other Indian languages: the agent replies in the language the buyer writes in, about your products and policies.

Which payment gateway does Behaf use?

Payments are collected securely through PayU.

What else do I pay for?

Shipping. It comes from your Shiprocket wallet, which you top up yourself. Meta's message charges, the AI and the payment gateway are inside Behaf's per-order fee.

How do I get started on Behaf?

Create your store, then pass store verification. Then you upload your products, connect your Shiprocket account, and your storefront is ready.

Why does Behaf onboard in small batches instead of opening to everyone at once?

We onboard deliberately, in small batches, so every brand gets a proper setup and the attention it needs to succeed, not a rushed, self-serve signup.

Do I need any technical skills to use Behaf?

No. You upload your products and Behaf runs the rest.

What do I need before applying?

Product photos, prices, variant details and a Shiprocket account for shipping. Every new store also passes store verification before using the dashboard.

Why does Behaf use one shared WhatsApp number instead of my own?

Fair question. The honest answer:

Because it is what lets the WhatsApp AI sales agent sell for you from day one. On Behaf's verified number, the agent answers your buyers day or night, sends the product card, takes the payment and books the courier. There is no Meta approval or API setup on your side, so there is nothing technical to set up.

When a buyer chats, they'll see "Behaf" in the chat header. We won't pretend otherwise.

But your storefront is yours. Your catalog, prices, brand voice, packaging, and product experience are all yours. And most importantly, the customer's phone number and order history land in YOUR dashboard on day one. Not hidden behind our login. Not held hostage.

You own the customer. We do the hard work behind the scenes.

Brands that want their own WhatsApp number can ask us for a custom setup.

Who handles customer messages?

Aria, Behaf's AI salesperson, answers your buyers, recommends products and guides them toward a purchase, the same way a real salesperson would, day or night. If a buyer wants a person, they raise a request, and your team connects with them on your own WhatsApp or by email.

Can the AI make mistakes or quote the wrong price?

The agent works only from what you have loaded: your products, prices, stock and policies. It quotes only the prices and discounts you have set, and offers a discount only after a buyer objects to the price, within the rule you set in your dashboard. When it is not sure, it does not guess. Want to talk to the brand? Buyers can raise a request, and you connect with them on your own WhatsApp or by email.

Can customers trick it with fake UPI screenshots?

No. Behaf never relies on payment screenshots. An order is confirmed only when PayU confirms the payment has gone through.

How is selling in the chat different from my website?

A website waits for the buyer to find the answer. In the chat, the agent answers the question when it is asked, knows your whole range, and suggests what goes with what they picked. It only speaks about the products, prices and policies you have loaded.

Can my buyers talk to me directly?

Yes. Buyers can raise a request, and you connect with them on your own WhatsApp or by email.

Does Behaf handle shipping?

Yes. Brands connect a Shiprocket account and recharge their wallet, Shiprocket is the shipping aggregator we use to book and manage deliveries. Once that's set up, Behaf handles booking, tracking, and delivery updates automatically. You only go back to Shiprocket to top up your wallet.

Do I need to pack my own orders?

Yes, packing is handled by the brand. Behaf and Shiprocket take care of booking, pickup coordination, and tracking from there.

What happens if a customer wants a refund?

Refunds follow your own return/refund policy, which you set for your brand.

Whose data is it, mine or Behaf's?

Your customers are your customers. Brands get full access to their customer list, everyone who's purchased from their store, directly in their Behaf dashboard.

Can I leave Behaf at any time?

Yes. There is no fee for leaving.

Do customers know they're buying from my brand?

Yes. The storefront, products, prices and every reply are your brand's. The chat header shows "Behaf" because the WhatsApp number is shared, and we don't hide that. Behaf is not a marketplace: your buyers only see your store.

What kind of support does Behaf provide?

Every brand can reach our team, from onboarding through day-to-day questions, at +91 96001 00428 on WhatsApp.