Meta has introduced its payments service to India, allowing users to transact from a business within WhatsApp chats. This development was announced during the second annual conversations conference held in Mumbai. Building on the success of their payment solution in Brazil and Singapore, Meta is set to support various payment methods in India.
Mark Zuckerberg, CEO and Founder of Meta says, “With payments in India, we’re going to support other payment methods as well, including all UPI apps. This is going to make it even easier for people to pay Indian businesses within a WhatsApp chat using whatever method they prefer.”
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In addition to the payments launch, Meta also unveiled “Meta Verified” for businesses on WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook. This feature assures users that they are engaging with authenticated and legitimate businesses. Subscribed businesses will receive a verified badge, enhanced account support, protection against impersonation, and additional features to enhance visibility and credibility. For WhatsApp, premium features like a custom web page and expanded multi-device support will be included.
The newly introduced feature, known as “WhatsApp flows,” is for businesses to customise experiences within chat threads. This means users can perform various tasks, such as booking appointments, placing orders, or checking in for flights, all without leaving the conversation.
“We’ve continued to innovate with our messaging formats, our group chats and broadcast channels. And it’s the same focus that we’re bringing to how we support businesses, creating simple to use and easy to scale tools so they can connect with their customers in meaningful ways.” says Mark Zuckerberg.