WhatsApp recently started rolling out a major update bringing two of its long-awaited to users – disappearing message and WhatsApp Pay. We already discussed disappearing message in previous articles and how it works. Today, however, we’ll be looking at WhatsApp Payment service, how to set it up and send and receive payments from your chats.
What is WhatsApp Pay?
WhatsApp Pay has been continuously appearing in tech news for quite some time now and is no longer new to many of us. Its basically a payment service, quite similar to Google pay and was first launched sometime around mid-June 2020 in Brazil and promised to expand to Indian which is has finally fulfuilled.
WhatsApp Pay makes use of UPI (Unified Payment Interface) ID to allow users to send and receive money without stress. Although the payment service is only available to Brazil and India at the moment, it will definitely bridge the gap Paypal and many other payment services have failed to cover especially in online businesses (Nigerian bloggers and other internet hustlers will understand this better).
Who Can Use WhatsApp Pay?
Everyone in Indian will be able to use this new WhatsApp payment feature, however, it has not been made available to everyone at the moment due to some regulatory by the National Payments Corporation of India.
Users need to update their app to the latest version from the Google Playstore or iOS app first to use the new payment feature. If users can’t find the option after the update, they’ll have to wait for a while to get the feature but it should reach all Indian WhatsApp users before 2021.
Steps To Set Up WhatsApp Pay On Android & iOS
To set up WhatsApp Pay, users are required to have a UPI ID, for those who already have, they can easily link their bank accounts to WhatsApp pay and start using the service. For users who do not have a UPI ID yet, simply open up your Bank’s mobile app and set up a new ID and then link it to WhatsApp Pay.
Once you have the ID, follow the simple step by step guide below to link your bank account and using WhatsApp Pay service:
- First, update your WhatsApp app to the latest version on Android or iOS.
- Once your app is updated, launch it and tap on the three dots on the main chat screen.
- Amongst the list of available options, you’ll find the ‘Payments’ option, select it. For iPhone, you have to go through the ‘Settings’ and then tap on the ‘Payments’ option.
- Now, tap on ‘Add Payment Method’ and select your bank on the next page.
- You’ll now have to verify your phone number, tap on the ‘Verify via SMS’ button.
- WhatsApp will now try to verify your account like it normally would when you’re just setting up a WhatsApp account. Allow WhatsApp to make calls and send SMS.
- Once verified, your UPI account will be linked to WhatsApp pay and you can start using the service.
How to use WhatsApp Pay?
Once you successfully set up WhatsApp Pay on your device, you can now send and receive money instantly.
To send money, all you need to do is:
- Open a chat and tap on the ‘file attachment icon’ like you normally would if you wanted to share a document, file, location or contact.
- On the attachment menu, you’ll find ‘Payment’ from the list of options. Tap on the payment option and enter the amount you want to send on the payment page.
- You’ll be asked to provide your UPI Pin to authorise the transaction, input that and your transaction will be processed.
- That’s it! the money will be sent.
So, that’s basically everything on how to set up and use WhatsApp pay on Android and iOS. If you find this guide helpful, kindly use any of the social media button below and share with friends. And if you encounter any errors or difficulties setting up the service, let us know in the comment section below.