A few weeks ago, Facebook announced Libra and shared a few details about how the new crypto coin will help shape the future of trading globally and also making it the major means of exchanging funds across its platform (Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp). The social networking and social media giant, however, is likely to integrate a payment system dubbed WhatsApp Pay even before Libra goes live globally.
According to a recent report, WhatsApp will officially launch its Payment system before the end of this. The company has already been testing this new since last year and will first be available in Indian and then to other countries as time goes.
The new WhatsApp payment system will allow easy money transfer between friends and family without leaving the WhatsApp platform. Sending money on WhatsApp will be as simple as just sending a text message and the company is also looking at possibilities to make it a means of payment for goods and services in the international markets.
According to WhatsApp, “WhatsApp Payments will make it as easy to pay someone on WhatsApp as it is to send a message.”
“Payments services are critical to accelerating financial inclusion and bringing millions of more people into India’s fast-growing digital economy. ”
“We can’t wait to provide this service to our users across India this year.”
The new WhatsApp payment system is made possible via a unified payment interface (UPI). This will allow users to send and receive money easily allowing users to link their bank accounts and begin making payments straight to another user’s bank account through a WhatsApp chat.
Users can locate the payment option in WhatsApp by tapping on the attachment button placed next to the camera icon. After that, users will see the payment option along with other options such as the gallery, video, and others. Once clicked then a list of banks will appear on the screen and you then have to select the bank to which bank account is being linked. After selecting the account, you will just have to verify it to send the money.
Once launched, WhatsApp will compete against local firms including Banks, Paytm and Phonepe, as well as Google Pay and Amazon Pay.
The payment system will be the best alternative to PayPal and several other money exchange platform.
I must commend your work Adewale. Back to the topic, I won’t really love to use this technology. Not to discourage growth in tech space, I just don’t like the idea of paying and receiving payments with WhatsApp At least not too secure or are they going to have a security technology like a login system for phone numbers?
There’s no much information about this at the moment but it’s definitely going to have security features. Every payment system have, so it will have one too.
Will it be like PayPal?
Maybe, maybe not. However its expected to bridge the gapp PayPal and many other money exchange platform has failed to cover.
It’s a good innovation
Will this thing be secure?
Certainly
It’s a good idea
Nice development by WhatsApp