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WhatsApp launches in-chat payment feature for businesses in Singapore

WhatsApp Singapore

WhatsApp, the popular messaging platform owned by Meta, is expanding its payment services to Singapore. Following successful launches in India and Brazil, the company has partnered with Stripe to bring in-chat payment capabilities to businesses in the region.

The new feature, built using Stripe Connect and Stripe Checkout solutions, enables online and offline payments through the app. Customers can now pay businesses using credit cards, debit cards, or Singapore’s PayNow fund transfer system without being redirected to another website or opening another app.

“Most people I know in Singapore use WhatsApp to chat with each other. Now, they can pay local businesses using the app as well. The speed and convenience of payments through WhatsApp will help businesses expand their revenue streams with new channels and access a wider customer base,” said Sarita Singh, regional head and managing director for Southeast Asia at Stripe.

Currently, the feature is only available to a select few businesses in Singapore. However, Meta plans to expand its availability to more merchants in the coming months. Businesses can set up this feature through WhatsApp Business, which will also guide them on setting up a Stripe account.

WhatsApp first launched its payment services in India in 2020 using the country’s Unified Payment Interface (UPI) network. In 2022, the National Payments Corporation of India allowed Meta to expand the service to 100 million users. Subsequently, the company introduced an end-to-end shopping experience with Reliance Jio in India, enabling customers to order groceries using the app. In Brazil, WhatsApp launched merchant payments last month after offering peer-to-peer payments for nearly three years.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is now focusing on leveraging WhatsApp’s 2 billion user base to launch payment services in various regions. Since WhatsApp does not have subscription fees or ads, its business offerings serve as the primary method for Meta to generate revenue from the app. Starting next month, WhatsApp will transition from a notification-based pricing system to a conversation-based pricing structure for its Business services.

In a recent press statement, WhatsApp mentioned that it has been working with several businesses to test the new payment feature, including plant-based butcher Love Handle, No Excuses gym, lifestyle boutique TyeTye, and pastry shop Baker’s 13.

Local businesses in Singapore can enable the payment feature using the WhatsApp Business Platform. For those interested in offering this feature to customers, WhatsApp has recommended working with one of their four partners – Vonage, Gupshup, 360dialog, and Clare.AI to get started.

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