WhatsApp has reportedly introduced P2P payments in India

WhatsApp Payments
WABetaInfo/Twitter

WhatsApp has begun rolling out a digital payments feature in India, according to screenshots obtained by WABetaInfo and blogged by iPhoneHacks.

It has been reported for almost a year that the Facebook-owned instant messaging app would launch a person-to-person (P2P) payments feature. At the time, Facebook had begun searching a head of digital transactions with knowledge of India’s biometric ID systems, its Unified Payments Interface (UPI), and BHIM – a cross-bank payment app.

The feature, which is available to some Indian users in beta, enables people to send and receive money with UPI and includes support for a range of banks including the State Bank of India, Axis Bank, ICICI Bank, and Airtel Payments Bank.

WhatsApp Payments is accessible through the settings menu in the app for the users. Here, they are required to verify their number by SMS and choose their bank from the list of available institutions. Once completed, the option to send payments becomes available in chats within the area where users are able to send pictures, audio, and their location.