WhatsApp pay: what is it and which countries can use it?

WhatsApp, one of the social media giants is rolling out a new feature, WhatsApp Pay that will allow platform users to make payments from the app. But what will it be like, who can use the feature and when will it be available are all questions users want to know. In this article, we present you the details of all that you need to know, while answering the above three crucial questions.

“Whether it’s sending money home, splitting the cost of your aunt’s birthday gift, or paying back a friend for lunch, do it all with no fees on WhatsApp.” That is the first message you will see when you visit the WhatsApp payment website.

The feature promises to allow users to make payments via the platform, and split costs without attracting a service charge. People can use the platform to contribute and pay bills when they go out to have lunch, pay bills and do other financial transactions without incurring service charges.

An in-chat feature that enables transactions with your contact list, the feature is a Unified Payments Interface (UPI)-based payment developed by the National Payment Corporation of India.

When was WhatsApp Pay introduced?

WhatsApp pay was introduced in 2018 on a trial basis in India. It was in a partnership with ICICI Bank where a million users of the platform were to have access to the feature. To make a payment using the feature, a user has to tap the share file icon and select payment. Once a payment request is accepted, the user is able to set up a UPI account on WhatsApp.

Users have the ability to view their transaction history and account balance on WhatsApp. However, users can only send payments to their contact list.

Currently, the feature is available in India and Brazil. In Brazil, it is powered by Meta Pay and had to be suspended before it was relaunched again following regulatory verification. However, the company is working on making updates to the feature to make it available in countries such as the US, Indonesia, Mexico and the UK.

More updates

Also, the updates will make it capable of using credit and debit cards. Additionally, a new autofill feature is being developed to make it easier for users to securely save their payment information such as card details and billing addresses.

Aside from those features mentioned to be added to the payment features, a new confirmation feature is being developed to improve security. The feature will enable users to securely confirm payments.