“WhatsApp Payments” feature is available in beta version and is under development
WhatsApp aims to make the life of their users easy by introducing the Payments feature, which will enable you to send and receive money directly on your WhatsApp.
WhatsApp is working on adding payments feature to its upcoming versions. For a few months, this news has been circulating in tech circles that WhatsApp is working on a Unified Payments Interface (UPI) with plans to release it by this year’s end.
According to a blog website WABetaInfo, WhatsApp was finally giving shape to its plans towards bank-to-bank transfer using the UPI system.
In the new version ‘2.17.295’ through the Google Play Beta Programme, it says: “WhatsApp Payments: the immediate bank-to-bank transfer with UPI,” the blog added.
The official “WhatsApp Payments” section for Android is still under development. “In order to use WhatsApp Payments, you will have to accept the WhatsApp Payments and Bank Terms and Privacy Policy,” the blog added.
However, it should be noted that this is just the beta version of the feature which means it is still under development and the actual Payments feature will be rolled out on future updates.
Keen observers who have seen the beta reveal that the feature will be opt-in and if a user wants to use it they will have to fully accept the terms and privacy policies of WhatsApp payments and the bank involved.
Facebook, which bought WhatsApp for a record $19 billion back in February 2014, has already added a peer-to-peer payment solution to its Messenger chat app.
Apple is set to introduce the ability to send money via Apple Pay within its iMessage chat service with the launch of iOS 11 this autumn.