The Facebook-owned instant messaging app, WhatsApp, has just launched a digital payments service in Brazil.
Through the payment service which is integrated into the chat messenger, users will be able to send money securely or make a purchase from a local business without leaving their chat, the company said in a blog post.
The payments on WhatsApp are enabled by Facebook Pay and will enable both cash transfers between individual users and also can be used as a payment option for the purchase of products on businesses available via WhatsApp for business app.
Individuals can send, and receive money for free but businesses will have to pay a 3.99% processing fee to receive customer payments. For security of users’ cash, WhatsApp pay uses a six-digit PIN or fingerprint to prevent unauthorized transactions. Users can load cash into their wallet via debit or credit cards.
Moving forward, Facebook plans to bring the payments system to all of its WhatsApp users across the globe.
“Payments on WhatsApp are beginning to roll out to people across Brazil beginning today and we look forward to bringing it to everyone as we go forward,” the company said.
The WhatsApp digital payments system is also open to adding more partners in the future, according to the messaging app.
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Facebook started testing a UPI-based digital payment system inside WhatsApp in India in 2018 for months and was able to onboard around a million users throughout the beta phase. The launch didn’t happen as the company was stuck in a regulatory twist.
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