Highlights.
- WhatsApp Bill Payments May Soon Launch in India with feature that may soon let users pay electricity, water, rent, and mobile bills seamlessly within the app, revolutionizing digital payments in India.
- India is home to WhatsApp’s largest user base, with over 532 million monthly active users out of a total of 3 billion users worldwide.
- As of late, NPCI had removed the 100 million user cap on WhatsApp Payment, allowing all users in India to make use of the service.
- Found during an APK teardown, a new feature was spotted which will make life easier than ever before.
WhatsApp Bill Payments May Soon Launch in India with feature that may soon let users pay electricity, water, rent, and mobile bills seamlessly within the app, revolutionizing digital payments in India. WhatsApp may be one of the most popular apps used by the Indian populace, and we’re pretty sure that any device to be checked will be housing the app. Previously just a humble messaging application, with the implementation of WhatsApp Payment, it can now allow for the transfer of funds between contacts. With NPCI (National Payments Corporation of India) removing the 100 million users cap on WhatsApp Payments, the entirety of the user base can make seamless and convenient payments using the application.
WhatsApp beta v2.25.3.15 teardown
According to a report by Android Authority, an APK teardown of WhatsApp beta version 2.25.3.15 revealed that the messaging platform may expand its services to WhatsApp bill payments. According to them, “An APK teardown helps predict features that may arrive on a service in the future based on work-in-progress code. However, it is possible that such predicted features may not make it to a public release.”
Currently, users in India can send money to contacts and pay businesses and vendors, making use of the Unified Payments Interface (UPI), but if predictions are correct, WhatsApp bill payments will be soon joining the list. The beta version included various references to several bill payment categories, namely:
- Electricity Bills.
- Mobile prepaid recharges.
- LPG gas payments.
- Water Bills.
- Landline postpaid bills.
- Rent payments.
While the feature is still in development, an empty activity has already been added in the app’s beta version.
A timely move that matters
Since bill payments are currently handled by other applications, this move will make way for Meta to compete with Google Pay, PhonePe and Paytm. Utilizing this feature will make life all the more easier for users, as they will be able to access the feature right from WhatsApp itself; no need for multiple applications to be installed.
This feature has been revealed right after the user cap on WhatsApp Pay was removed by NPCI, and as India is WhatsApp’s largest market, the move is absolutely game changing. However, as stated by Android Authority, this feature was discovered during an APK teardown, meaning there is no confirmation yet on when it will roll out, if it will at all. Also to launch the service, the company will have to address a number of regulatory and logistical challenges. If utilized, this is probably going to be the next major step that WhatsApp/Meta takes to expand its services to the people in India.
