WhatsApp Payments rolls out in india
After a two-year wait, WhatsApp has finally been allowed to start rolling out its payments service -- WhatsApp Payments -- in India. The National Payments Council of India (NPCI) has given a green signal to the Facebook-owned app's payments venture and suggested that the service can now go live in a 'graded manner.' Read on to know more about the new WhatsApp feature and how you can use it.
WhatsApp Payments official in India
As approved by NPCI, WhatsApp Payments will allow for UPI-based transactions in a 'graded manner.' This means that it will initially be available for 20 million UPI users in India and will operate based on the multi-bank model. NPCI also introduced a cap of 30% on UPI transactions by third-party app providers (TPAP), starting January 1, 2021.
The feature will allow you to send and receive money with ease, much like send and receive messages on the app. Currently, WhatsApp is working with 5 major banks, namely, CICI Bank, HDFC Bank, Axis Bank, the State Bank of India, and Jio Payments Bank for the purpose. The list is expected to expand soon. For you to make payments on WhatsApp, you need to have a bank account and a debit card. You will be able to make WhatsApp Payments using a UPI supported app.
The feature, much like WhatsApp focuses on security and privacy of the user and would require a user to enter the UPI PIN before making the payment. much like you do on Google Pay, Paytm, or PhonePe.
WhatsApp Payments is available in 10 Indian languages for both Android and iOS users as part of the latest app version.
How to set up WhatsApp Payments on Android, iOS?
Setting up WhatsApp Payments is quite easy. You just need to:
- Update your WhatsApp app on Android or iOS to the latest version
- Open the WhatsApp app
- On Android, head to a chat window, tap on the attachment icon and select the Payment option. On IOS, head to the Settings option and select the 'Payments' option
- In both cases, tap the 'New Payment' option and then the 'Accept and Continue' option
- Following this, add your bank from the list that pops up, verify your phone number, and add your bank account
- Now, you need to verify your debit card details by entering the card number and expiry date/year
- The last step requires you to set up a UPI PIN for which you need to get an OTP, enter the desired PIN, reenter it, and you are all set
How to use WhatsApp Payments on Android, iOS?
Once the UPI payments option is set up on WhatsApp, sending money is quite easy. Here's how:
- Open the WhatsApp app on Android or iOS
- For Android, open a chat, tap on the attachment icon, and select the Payment option. For iOS, go to the Settings section, select the Payments option, select 'New Payment' option, and then the person you need to send the money to
- Now, enter the desired amount, enter your UPI PIN and within seconds, the money gets transferred to the person's bank account
In addition to this, you can send money on WhatsApp via UPI ID and QR code. For Android, you need to open WhatsApp>select the three-dotted menu in the top right corner>select Payments option>New Payment option. Then, select either the UPI ID option (enter and verify UPI ID and then the amount to complete the transaction) or the QR code option (scan the QR code and enter the amount to complete the process).
For iOS, you need to head to the same Settings option, select the New Payment option, and then the same process as mentioned above.
