Meta launches UPI payments for WhatsApp Business in India
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has announced the launch of WhatsApp Business payments in India, allowing users to make payments to businesses through the app using the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) method of their choice. Zuckerberg made this announcement during the Meta Conversations event, which focused on WhatsApp Business and was held virtually at the Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai.
The accepted payment methods for WhatsApp Business now include Pay on WhatsApp, credit/debit cards, net banking, Google Pay, PhonePe, Paytm, and more UPI options. The initial payment partners for this service are RazorPay and PayU. WhatsApp”s payment solution was previously introduced in Singapore and Brazil.
Zuckerberg stated, “Today, I”m excited to announce that we are bringing this service to India. With payments in India, we”re going to support other payment methods as well, including all UPI apps. This is going to make it even easier for people to pay Indian businesses within a WhatsApp chat using whatever method they prefer.”
In addition to the payment feature, Zuckerberg revealed that Meta verified would be extended to businesses on WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook. Initially, this will be rolled out to small companies and will provide them with an official badge, impersonation protection, account support, and business features in the coming months. Meta verified for individuals on Facebook and Instagram was introduced in India earlier in the year.
Meta also announced the upcoming release of “WhatsApp Flows,” a feature designed to automate common business processes such as booking tickets, filling out forms, and submitting applications. This feature will be rolled out in the coming weeks.
Sandhya Devanathan, Meta”s VP for India, mentioned that the company plans to upskill 10 million traders across 29 states in 11 Indian languages over the next three years. She emphasised the widespread use of WhatsApp in India, with 80% of Indian consumers preferring to communicate with businesses through messaging. Devanathan also highlighted the thousands of WhatsApp messages sent daily for activities such as booking metro tickets and resolving customer service queries, often not in English. WhatsApp boasts nearly universal use in India among smartphone users, according to Devanathan. Globally, WhatsApp has 3.8 billion monthly users, as stated during the presentation by Meta.
