You may soon be able to make payments using WhatsApp
Synopsis
WhatsApp may introduce a UPI-based payment option. It will allow peer-to-peer money transactions. This could happen within the next six months.
WhatsApp is the most popular messaging platform in India with over 200 million users. Now, news has it that WhatsApp plans to use UPI, which is backed by the government and recently integrated by Ola, to enable payments between users. According to Techcrunch, this could happen within the next six months.
Though WhatsApp hasn't been vocal about the feature, they haven't denied it either. The report adds that the company has been looking for ways to incorporate payments systems, especially given the Indian government's pet project -Digital India.
This isn't something new for messaging platforms as Truecaller has already introduced user-to-user payments via tie-up with ICICI Bank. Facebook has also added payments to its messenger app in the US.
For those not in the know, to promote PM Modi's digital India dream the Reserve Bank of India has come up with Unified Payment Interface System (UPI) through National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) to facilitate digital transactions. UPI apps were launched earlier this year, and compete with mobile wallets like Paytm. With UPI, you don't need to feed money into a wallet, and it is directly linked to your bank account. Transactions you make with UPI are linked to a virtual id for all payments, without the need for IFSC code and so on.
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