After months of beta-testing, WhatsApp has finally released the much-awaited money payment feature on its messenger application in India.
WhatsApp P2P (Person-to-Person) money transfer option is now available on both Google Android and Apple iOS-based smartphones, reported the New Indian Express.
It has to be noted that the payment feature is being rolled out via software update in phases, so it may take some time to reach all users in India.
The new WhatsApp payment feature works on the government-authorized UPI (Unified Payment Interface) platform, which helps in linking bank accounts for direct money transfer.
Here's how to set up WhatsApp Payments:
Prerequisite:
In order to send/receive money, your mobile phone should have the latest WhatsApp version —v2.18.21 for Apple iOS and v2.18.41 for Google Android.
Let's get started now.
Step 1: Go to WhatsApp >> Settings>> scroll down >> tap Payments (below the "Notifications" tab)
Step 2: In Payments option>> message pops up—"Send and receive money securely with UPI"— tap "Accept and Continue"
Step 3: Then, you will be asked undergo authentication>> select "Verify via SMS"
Step 4: Once verified, you get the list of UPI-affiliated banks to link the WhatsApp payment feature to your account
[Note: In order use WhatsApp payment option, user's mobile number should be linked to the bank account]
Step 5: Then, select the bank. Based on your mobile number, WhatsApp will automatically fetch the account details with the last four digits reflected on the screen.
Step 6: Once that appears, click on the account to add a debit card (enter just the last six digits). Once that is done, it shows the message "Setup Complete"
Additional Setup:
If the user has multiple accounts in various bank, he/she can add them by following the procedure below:
Step 1: Go to WhatsApp >> Settings >> Payments >> Add New Bank account
Step 2: Select any of the listed banks. Once that is chosen, it will fetch the account number details and add the name of the bank in the list.
Note: If you want to set a particular bank account as the primary account to send/receive money, tap on that particular bank listed in the "Bank accounts" tab in the payments option, and you will get the "Set as my primary account" option and press it. And you are good to go.
How to send or receive money on WhatsApp?
Step 1: Once the Payments option is updated with bank and debit card details, users can just go to the chat section and select the person name they want to send the money to.
Step 2: On iOS, tap the "+" icon in the left corner of the chat. On Android, tap the paper pin icon on the top right corner, where you will find the "Payment" option. There you will be asked to type in the amount and follow the procedure as requested and the money will be transferred to the selected person's bank account provided he accepts payments on WhatsApp.
[Note: In order to send and receive money, both the sender and the payee must have linked their WhatsApp accounts to their respective bank accounts]
