Now send money directly through WhatsApp

Alongside sending messages, you can now transfer money too, straight from WhatsApp! The world’s most popular messaging platform has rolled out a new feature called WhatsApp Pay.

This service lets users send and receive money directly within the app without needing any separate payment application. In simple terms, you can now transfer cash to friends or family just as easily as firing off a chat message.

How to use WhatsApp Pay

Account setup

• Open WhatsApp and go to the ‘Payments’ option
• Link your bank account through the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) system
• Create your UPI ID and set a UPI PIN

Sending money

• Open the chat of the person you want to send money to
• Tap the Payment option
• Enter the amount, confirm with your UPI PIN, and the transaction is complete

Receiving money

• The recipient must also have WhatsApp Pay set up
• Funds are credited directly to their linked bank account

How secure is it? WhatsApp Pay transactions are protected by your personal UPI PIN, known only to you. Moreover, the entire process is safeguarded by the same end-to-end encryption that secures your regular WhatsApp messages.

This simple yet powerful feature has the potential to make everyday financial transactions far smoother, all from within the chat app millions already use daily.

The service was first launched in India on a trial basis. Within a short period, more than 100 million people started using it. Recently, the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) removed previous user caps on WhatsApp Pay, making the facility available to an even larger audience across the country.