Ikhiloya/whatsapp-cloudapi-payment-integration-observations

Implementation observations from a WhatsApp Cloud API pilot in Nigeria demonstrating conversational food ordering with integrated payment services. # Whatsapp Cloud Api + Payment Integration Observations ## Implementation observations from a WhatsApp Cloud API pilot in Nigeria, demonstrating conversational food ordering with integrated payment services. ## Developer Observations This repository documents implementation observations from building a small conversational commerce pilot using WhatsApp Cloud APIs and a payment service provider. The goal of publishing these notes is to share practical developer experiences integrating: - WhatsApp Cloud API messaging workflows - catalog-based ordering - webhook-driven order events - Nigerian **Payment Service Provider (PSP)**. The observations in this repository reflect implementation patterns encountered during the pilot and are shared to help developers design similar conversational commerce systems. --- # System Overview The system, called **Jollof Boss**, implemented a WhatsApp-native food ordering workflow supporting the full order lifecycle: ``` Customer → Menu → Order → Payment → Merchant/Customer Notification ``` ### Technology Stack * **WhatsApp Cloud APIs**: messaging, catalog menus, order events * **Spring Boot backend**: workflow orchestration and state management * **Paystack PSP integration**: payment authorization and confirmation * **Webhook architecture**: event-driven transaction lifecycle --- # Architecture The system was implemented using an **event-driven orchestration model** as shown in the architecture diagram below. --- # Observed Transaction Metrics During the pilot, the backend recorded timestamps across each stage of the workflows (Delivery and Pick-Up). These metrics are **instrumentation observations from a small pilot deployment**, not platform benchmarks. ### Messaging and Backend Performance | Operation | Typical Duration | | ----------------------------------- | ---------------- | | WhatsApp message dispatch | 1–3 seconds | | Backend processing | ", "type …