WhatsApp ‘gearing up for P2P payments’

Written by Anthony Strzalek

15/08/2017

WhatsApp could soon roll out a new peer-to-peer (P2P) payments service, according to leaked company screenshots.

The global messaging app, which was bought by Facebook back in February 2014 for $19 billion, looks close to adding the new payments feature which will enable WhatsApp users to wirelessly transfer money within the messenger service.

The ‘WhatsApp Payments’ feature was spotted on a beta version of the app according to the Express newspaper, with the screenshots claiming the service allows for “bank-to-bank transfer with UPI”.

Facebook has already introduced payments to its Messenger app and Apple is getting ready to introduce a new service to allow users to send money via Apple Pay within its iMessage chat.

Commenting on WhatsApp’s reported launch of peer-to-peer payments in the UK, Dave Glaser, chief product officer, global eCom at Worldpay, said: “It is no surprise that WhatsApp is looking to expand its services beyond messaging, and the introduction of peer-to-peer payments in the UK is a stepping stone towards the one-stop-shop model that is already so popular across the globe.

“With the introduction of P2P payments, WhatsApp moves far beyond pure social interaction, instead offering an entire ecosystem of services which is integrated into every aspect of consumers’ daily lives.”

WhatsApp has not yet responded to the leaked screenshots or the mooted development of its P2P service.