Facebook launches WhatsApp payments in Brazil

Facebook has launched digital payments for WhatsApp users in Brazil, enabling them to send money securely or buy from a local business without leaving their chat.

In addition, Facebook said it wants to make sending money to loved ones as easy as sending a message. Because payments on WhatsApp are enabled by Facebook Pay, in the future, Facebook plans to make it possible for people and businesses to use the same card information across Facebook’s family of apps. A six-digit PIN or fingerprint will be required to prevent unauthorized transactions.

To start, Facebook will support debit or credit cards from Banco do Brasil, Nubank, and Sicredi on the Visa and Mastercard networks. Facebook said it is also working with Cielo, the leading payments processor in Brazil, and that it has built an open model to welcome more partners in the future.

Sending money or making a purchase on WhatsApp is free. Businesses will pay a processing fee to receive customer payments, similar to what they may already pay when accepting a credit card transaction.

Payments on WhatsApp are beginning to roll out to people across Brazil now.

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