In 2014 Facebook acquired WhatsApp messenger and more than a year ago successfully launched its pilot in India. This February, the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) gave permission for the official rollout of the payment system.
India will be the first country to launch WhatsApp Pay. The system will compete with the popular Google Pay, PhonePe, Paytm and BHIM in the country.
THIS YEAR FACEBOOK IS PLANNING TO LAUNCH WHATSAPP PAY IN OTHER COUNTRIES
HOW DOES IT WORK?
WhatsApp Pay is based on the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) standard – a framework to facilitate money transfers that currently unites all banks in India. Any user can connect their bank account to the messenger and send money directly through the application interface in chat windows without commission.
Even if the user does not have a UPI account configured in the bank, WhatsApp Pay will create it for them. It is only necessary that the WhatsApp number used by the person is the same one registered with their bank account. To send money, the user needs to select a bank from the given list, go through a simple authentication process via SMS or PUSH notification and select the account (if there are several).
Sending money is very easy – the payment option appears directly from the conversation window, the user indicates the recipient, the amount and the UPI PIN. The Facebook team is working to ensure that money through WhatsApp can be sent as easily and quickly as photos. It is also planning to create business payments so that users can make purchases from brands through the messenger.
WHATSAPP PAY VS APPLE PAY
Since Apple Pay entered our lives, the payment process for goods and services was greatly simplified. Paying with a smartphone or smart watch has proved to be not only very convenient, but also secure. Apple’s competitors also began to offer their products – Google Pay, Samsung Pay, etc. However, all of them require the presence of NFC in the terminal and payment device.
It will also be possible to pay using WhatsApp in stores without the need for NFC by using QR codes, like the Chinese messenger WeChat. The user will need to activate the messenger, turn on the camera and scan the QR code in the store, the service will connect with the bank, which checks the availability of funds on the user’s account and confirms the transaction.
Time will tell how soon WhatsApp Pay will be available outside of India. Facebook will have to get permission from regulators in different countries and consider the characteristics of national banking systems.
