WhatsApp pay now available for users in India

New Delhi : The much-awaited UPI payment feature in WhatsApp has gone live for the users in India, the company announced on Friday. WhatsApp also mentioned in their blog post that they want to make the experience of sending money to each other as easy as sending messages.

India currently has many payment apps including Paytm, PhonePe, Google Pay among others.

Announcing the new feature, WhatsApp said in a blog, “Starting today, people across India will be able to send money through WhatsApp. This secure payment experience makes transferring money just as easy as sending a message. People can safely send money to a family member or share the cost of goods from a distance without having to exchange cash in person or going to a local bank.

WhatsApp has designed its payments feature in partnership with the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) using the Unified Payment Interface (UPI), an India-first, a real-time payment system that enables transactions with over 160 supported banks.

WhatsApp has partnered with five leading banks in India including ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank, Axis Bank, the State Bank of India, and Jio Payments Bank. “To send money on WhatsApp in India, it’s necessary to have a bank account and debit card in India. WhatsApp sends instructions to banks, also known as payment service providers, that initiate the transfer of money via UPI between sender and receiver bank accounts,” WhatsApp said. People can also send money through WhatsApp to anyone who is using an app that supports UPI.

“In the long run, we believe the combination of WhatsApp and UPI’s unique architecture can help local organizations address some of the key challenges of our time, including increasing rural participation in the digital economy and delivering financial services to those who have never had access before,” WhatsApp blog reads.