The UPI based Payment system was a long-awaited feature in WhatsApp and it seems it has finally started rolling out.
For now, it’s being rolled out slowly and is on an invitation basis.
How to get WhatsApp Payments right now
Like I said, the WhatsApp payments feature is rolling out to select users in India right now. First, make sure you are running the latest version of the app. Open any WhatsApp chat and click on the Attachment pin on the right-hand side of the chat, see if you see the new Payment option appears. If you do, great, you now have access to WhatsApp’s UPI-based payments feature. If not, you will need someone who has already got the feature.
Simply ask them to try to make a payment to you, this will give them a pop-up asking them to tell the recipient to update their WhatsApp version. Once they tap on the popup, the Payment feature will be enabled for you as well.
How to add bank accounts for WhatsApp Payments
- Go to Settings ➜ Payments inside WhatsApp.
- In the Bank Accounts sub-head, select the Add New Account option.
- Tap Accept and Continue if you agree to the terms.
- Tap the Verify via SMS and follow the prompts to send an SMS to start the linking process.
- On the next screen, select the bank whose account you want to add.
- If you have an account (or multiple accounts) linked with the number that you just sent the SMS from, you will be presented with your account (or accounts) from that bank.
- If everything goes smoothly, you will see the UPI Setup Complete screen.
You can also add multiple bank accounts to it and designate one of them as the primary account.
How to send money via WhatsApp Payments
The WhatsApp payment feature works only if the recipient has set up their bank account within WhatsApp
You can also send money to individual group members in a group chat, provided they have enabled the Payment option. Moreover, you cannot pay money to verified business accounts (such as BookMyShow or MakeMyTrip) because the service is only peer-to-peer (i.e. person to person).
How to send payments via WhatsApp:
- Open the chat of the WhatsApp contact to whom you want to send money.
- On Android, tap the Attach button. If you are on iPhone, select the Plus button.
- To send money, just tap on Payment, and enter the amount you want to send. You can also add a note to the message if you want.
- To authorize the payment, just enter the UPI PIN of the bank account from which you are trying to send money.
- Once the money is sent, the amount (and the text note, if any) will show a message as part of the conversation.
