Social Media
WhatsApp users in Brazil can now pay merchants through the app
In Brazil, WhatsApp is introducing the ability for users to pay businesses directly through chat. This means that people in the country will be able to have end-to-end shopping experiences within the app, from discovery to payment. This move allows WhatsApp to finally enter the Brazilian merchant payment market.
In a post, Mark Zuckerberg announced that the company is rolling out the ability for users to “pay local businesses right in a WhatsApp chat.”
“This frictionless and secure checkout experience will be a game changer for individuals and small businesses looking to buy and sell on WhatsApp without having to visit a website, open another app, or pay in person.” “We’re starting with a small number of businesses today and will expand to many more in the coming months,” the company said in an announcement.
Users in Brazil could previously conduct peer-to-peer transactions using WhatsApp Pay. However, due to regulatory constraints, Meta was unable to implement this ability to make purchases through merchants. Shops could generate a payment link and include it in a WhatsApp message using a third-party payment service, but this was not a seamless experience for either the merchant or the shopper.
There is currently no data on how many small businesses use WhatsApp. In 2020, the company announced that more than 5 million businesses in Brazil use WhatsApp.
According to WhatsApp, users can pay with Mastercard and Visa debit, credit, and pre-paid cards issued by “numerous” participating banks. Businesses can accept these payments by connecting their accounts to a service provider such as Cielo, Mercado Pago, or Rede. In Brazil, these companies had already established the technical infrastructure for peer-to-peer payment via WhatsApp.
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