WhatsApp Enabled Payment Feature
The largest messaging platform WhatsApp has further enhanced its features by introducing a payment platform for users where they can request money from friends and family added in their contact, and also send money to someone else. The portal has launched WhatsApp Payments on Android beta with ‘Request Money’ feature upgrading it further, as until now the feature only allowed customers to send money to people in contacts. The feature has already gone live in India, and is available in Android beta 2.18.113 version.
It needs to be noted that, a user can use the Request money option only when payments are initiated by QR Code or Unified Payments Interface (UPI) ID. UPI based payments are dependent on SIM verification for the feature to work, so an user must ensure that his/her mobile number are linked to their bank account. Also, the same mobile number must be used with WhatsApp account as well, in order to allow Payments feature to work.
Following the news of WhatsApp Payment, it has been revealed that parent Facebook is also planning to move into payments in India.
According to FactorDaily, Facebook has already launched a beta version of its payments network in the form of recharge payments for mobile phone and other prepaid services. The payments system is being beta tested through Messenger, the messaging platform associated with Facebook.
“The platform will be separate from WhatsApp and will allow peer-to-peer and peer-to-merchant payments,” a source familiar with the development told FactorDaily.
