WhatsApp will soon support international payments through UPI
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Key notes
- Meta is working on a new payment feature for WhatsApp users in India.
- The upcoming payment capability will let users in India send international payments through UPI.
- The feature is in the development phase is not available for users.
Last month, WhatsApp introduced a new feature to Android, adding searching for messages by dates. It rolled out to all Android users across different parts of the world. However, Meta is also focused on adding new features for users in emerging markets like India. We’ve recently heard rumors of WhatsApp working towards adding a new payment capability for people in India.
WhatsApp in India lets users send and receive payments through India’s home-grown Unified Payment Interface (popularly known as UPI) system. It’s a bit late in participating in the payment war in the country and doesn’t come anywhere close to popular UPI payment apps like Google Pay and PhonePe. Another reason WhatsApp lags in the competition is that it doesn’t support all the UPI features. For example, you can’t make international payments in WhatsApp through UPI.
According to famed app researcher AssembleDebug, however, this might change soon. Meta was spotted working on the international payment functionality through UPI. Based on the screenshot provided by the app researcher, users will be able to turn it on or off from the Bank account details page in WhatsApp. When turned on, you’ll be able to send payments to businesses in supported countries for up to three months. The screenshots also suggest that you’ll be able to set a shorter timeframe than three months for international payments in WhatsApp.
The international payment feature in WhatsApp through UPI is currently in the development phase, so you won’t see it even if you’re based in India. If you want to increase your chances of getting access to it early, make sure to participate in the WhatsApp beta program, where new features arrive before becoming available to everybody else.
