The Picktime alternative that books inside WhatsApp
Picktime hands customers an external scheduling page to open; Welqo books right inside the WhatsApp chat they already use, with no account, no download, and deposits that settle to your own bank.
Picktime is a well-known web scheduler: you set up a booking page, and customers open that page in a browser to pick a time. It works, and its free tier has made it popular with solo providers and small teams. But it still asks a customer to leave the conversation, load a separate scheduling page, and step through it before the slot is confirmed. For a lot of local businesses, the conversation was already happening on WhatsApp, and every extra hop is a place bookings quietly leak away.
Welqo closes that gap by putting the booking inside the chat itself. Instead of sending a link to an external page, you let customers message you the way they already do. The assistant reads the request, checks a real calendar for each staff member so it never double-books, and confirms in the same thread. The customer installs nothing and creates no account, because everyone already has WhatsApp. Welqo auto-detects the language they write in and replies in any of 40+ languages, and every confirmed booking gets automatic 24-hour and 2-hour reminders without you lifting a finger.
Consider a Saturday at a two-chair salon. A regular messages 'koi slot hai kal shaam?' at 9pm. Welqo replies in the same language, offers the open times on her preferred stylist's calendar, books 6:30pm, and takes a small deposit over UPI that lands straight in the salon's own account, no commission skimmed off the booking. The next morning the reminder goes out automatically, and if a call comes in while the owner is mid-cut, Call Rescue turns that missed call into a WhatsApp booking too. Nobody opened a scheduling page; nobody signed up for anything.
Pricing is flat rather than per-seat: Booking at ₹999/$15 and Front Desk at ₹2,499/$39, plus a genuine free tier of up to 50 bookings a month with reminders included. Welqo runs on Meta's official WhatsApp Business Platform, so you can go live the same day with no code. If Picktime's external page has been costing you no-shows and drop-offs, moving the booking into the chat is the switch worth trying.
Why businesses choose Welqo
- Booking happens in the chat. Customers book, reschedule and cancel right inside WhatsApp, instead of opening a separate scheduling page in a browser.
- Real per-staff calendar. Every request checks a live calendar for each staff member, so Welqo never double-books a slot or a person.
- Deposits to your own account. Collect deposits and prepaid packs via Razorpay, UPI or cards that settle to your account at 0% commission on bookings.
- Replies in 40+ languages. Welqo auto-detects the customer's language and answers in it, with automatic 24h and 2h reminders on every booking.
The old way vs the WhatsApp way
| Web scheduling pages | Welqo (in WhatsApp) | |
|---|---|---|
| Where customers book | On a separate scheduling web page they must open | Inside the WhatsApp chat they already use |
| Customer sign-up / download | Often a booking page or account step to complete | Nothing to install, no account to create |
| Pricing shape | Commonly priced per user/seat on paid tiers | Flat plans (Booking, Front Desk), not per-seat |
| Deposits & prepaid packs | Varies; often needs add-on or external checkout | Settle to your own account at 0% commission on bookings |
| Reminders & languages | Reminders on a scheduling page; usually one language | Auto 24h+2h reminders; auto-replies in 40+ languages |
Go live the same day
- Sign up and add your services and hours
- Connect your WhatsApp number
- Customers book — you get the calendar
Frequently asked questions
How is Welqo different from Picktime?
Picktime gives you a scheduling web page that customers open in a browser to pick a slot. Welqo lives inside WhatsApp: customers just message you and the assistant books, reschedules or cancels against your real per-staff calendar, so there is no separate page, no app to download, and no account for them to create.
Do my customers need to download anything or create an account?
No. Anyone who can send a WhatsApp message can book. There is nothing to install and no login. Welqo replies in whichever of 40+ languages the customer writes in, and confirms the booking in the same thread.
Is Welqo cheaper than a per-seat scheduler?
Welqo uses flat pricing, not per-seat billing: Booking at ₹999/$15 and Front Desk at ₹2,499/$39. There is also a genuine free tier of up to 50 bookings a month with reminders included, so you can start without paying and add staff without your bill climbing per person.
Can I take deposits, and who holds the money?
Yes. Welqo can collect deposits and prepaid packs through Razorpay, UPI or international cards, and the money settles to your own merchant account with 0% commission on the bookings themselves. You keep the customer relationship and the funds.
How much does it cost?
Free to start — a shareable web booking page plus AI booking. Paid plans from ₹999 / $15 a month unlock unlimited AI WhatsApp booking and reminders, and the Front Desk plan (₹2,499 / $39) adds no-show recovery, deposits, waitlist backfill and broadcasts.
Start free — most businesses go live the same day · Welqo home · Guides
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