WhatsApp Payments is now rolling out in India[1] in beta for select Android smartphones as well as iPhones, bringing yet another digital payment option to the country. The new WhatsApp[2] payments feature is pretty convenient, and potentially has a huge user base in the country because of the app's immense popularity. Moreover, since it is based on UPI[3], the money will go straight to your bank account, eliminating the need of mobile wallets and other similar financial instruments. Not sure how WhatsApp payments work? Here’s everything you need to know to get started.
How to get WhatsApp Payments right now
Like we said earlier, the WhatsApp payments feature is rolling out to select users in India right now. First, make sure you are running the latest version of the app - as of filing this report, that’s v2.18.41 on Android and iPhone v2.18.22. Open any WhatsApp chat and see if you see the new Payments sub-head under Settings. If you do, great, you now have access to WhatsApp’s UPI-based payments feature. If not, you have no other option but to wait.
How to add bank accounts for WhatsApp Payments
Here’s how you can add your bank account to WhatsApp and get started with the payments feature:...
- Go to Settings -> Payments inside WhatsApp.
- In the Bank Accounts sub-head, select the Add New Account option.
- Tap Accept and Continue if you agree with the terms.
- Tap the Verify via SMS and follow the prompts to send an SMS to start the linking process.
- On the next screen, select the bank