WhatsApp Launches Payments Feature For India? UPI Based Payment Option Spotted on Android & iOS
For now, the UPI-based payment feature has been rolled out to select WhatsApp users.
New Delhi, February 8: In a bid to give a major boost to digital payment in India, Facebook-owned messaging app WhatsApp has now reportedly started testing out its UPI-based payments feature in India. According to a report by GizmoTimes, WhatsApp is apparently showing an in-chat UPI payment option on Android and iOS beta versions. Another report by FoneArena highlights the versions where the feature appears to be live. For now, the UPI-based payment feature has been rolled out to select WhatsApp users.
Facebook, which owns WhatsApp, is expected to bring this feature to its Messenger app soon for all its users. The new feature by WhatsApp enables individuals to send and receive money using the Indian government's Unified Payments Interface (UPI) standard. As per reports, the feature is said to be available on WhatsApp version 2.18.21 for iOS, and version 2.18.41 for Android. The Payment option is being displayed in the attachments list, where a payment option appears alongside other options like Documents, Gallery, Audio, Location and Contact.
The Payment app shows a list of supported banks. A user needs to input their account details, UPI pin for authorising every transaction. No payment option is operational since it is at the beta stage right now. It must be noted that the person must have a UPI account as well. To recall, WhatsApp in 2017, had sought permission from National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) to allow UPI payment system through their platform. The messaging app had got an approval along with Google Tez.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 08, 2018 06:42 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).