WhatsApp expands in-app payments

3 years ago 1

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WhatsApp is rolling out the ability for users to pay businesses within a chat, with the platform’s parent company Meta Platforms partnering with Stripe to launch the feature in its latest region — Singapore.

The company initially rolled out the feature in India and Brazil and is now expanding it to include users in Singapore, TechCrunch reports.

Its partnership with Stripe has allowed WhatsApp to build the payment feature using Stripe’s Connect and Checkout solutions, allowing for in-app payments to be made online and offline.

WhatsApp users in Singapore can pay businesses using credit and debit cards, or Singapore’s PayNow fund transfer platform.

Stripe regional head and managing director for Southeast Asia, Sarita Singh, said the rollout of in-app WhatsApp payments would help businesses in Singapore expand their revenue streams and attract a broader customer base.

“Most people I know in Singapore use WhatsApp to chat with each other. Now, they can pay local businesses using the app as well,” she said.

Meta said the feature is only available to a few businesses in Singapore for the time being, but it plans to expand availability to more in the coming months.

Businesses can access the feature through WhatsApp Business. The process will guide them through creating a Stripe account as well.