WhatsApp payments let you pay people or businesses inside a chat, but only in some countries. In India, WhatsApp's payments page says you can send and receive payments with no fees, powered by BHIM UPI, with funds moving directly between bank accounts. WhatsApp's Help Center says you can pay registered businesses on WhatsApp in India, Brazil, Mexico and Indonesia, and the feature isn't available outside those countries.
If you've seen older articles about sending payments abroad from the US, they're out of date. WhatsApp's Help Center now says sending funds from the US to friends and family overseas is no longer available on WhatsApp.
What's available where
| Country | What WhatsApp's own pages describe |
|---|---|
| India | Person-to-person payments on UPI with no fees; paying businesses; UPI credit lines with some banks |
| Brazil | Paying registered businesses; a Pix integration on the WhatsApp Business app |
| Mexico | Paying registered businesses; businesses can share CLABE bank details customers can copy |
| Indonesia | Paying registered businesses |
| United States | Sending funds to friends and family overseas is no longer available |
WhatsApp also notes that payment features vary by region and availability, and that some business payment tools are rolling out gradually.
How WhatsApp payments work in India
WhatsApp's India page describes a three-step setup: add your bank, verify, then transfer. Once your bank account is added, you can send and receive payments with anyone who uses UPI-based apps, not just other WhatsApp users. The payments are processed by payment partners in India. WhatsApp also keeps a Help Center note, only for users in India, about an update made under a National Payments Corporation of India mandate, so read it if something in your payments settings looks different.
- Add your bank account once in WhatsApp's payments settings.
- Verify your account.
- Send a payment from a chat, entering your UPI PIN every time.
- Check the status in the chat, and see past transactions in payments settings.
WhatsApp says it doesn't store your card or UPI PIN information. If you need to change that PIN, my guide on how to change your UPI PIN walks through it.
Paying a business on WhatsApp
- Credit lines: in India you can use a pre-approved credit line from your bank to pay businesses, once it's linked to WhatsApp UPI.
- One-click card payments: some businesses use this when they send you a charge.
- Direct customer payments: customers can buy items and pay straight away, and WhatsApp creates the order automatically for the business.
- Bank details you can copy: businesses using Pix in Brazil or CLABE in Mexico can share account details customers copy into their banking app.
For businesses selling on WhatsApp
- Meta Business Agent payments are currently only for select businesses in India and Brazil, according to WhatsApp's Help Center.
- Catalog lists in chats: businesses can share lists of up to 30 items from their catalog that relate to what a customer asked about.
- Accepting payments in the WhatsApp Business app is rolling out gradually and may not be available in your country yet.
- Paying for ads from the WhatsApp Business app needs a payment method set up before you can finish creating the ad.
The fees to look out for
Person-to-person payments in India are described as having no fees. Paying a business can be different: WhatsApp's Help Center says that when you pay a business for products or services, you may notice an additional convenience fee on the payment confirmation screen. Check that screen before you confirm, because that's where it appears.
Forgotten your PIN? Our guide to resetting a forgotten UPI PIN explains how to reset it.
Safety: what WhatsApp has added
- Your UPI PIN is needed for every payment in India.
- Suspicious transaction warnings in India draw on the Mobile Number Revocation List and Financial Fraud Risk Indicator lists issued by the Department of Telecommunications.
- Reporting: if a payment was made that you didn't make, you can report it by creating a claim, and the Payments Support team investigates and replies in WhatsApp.
- Two-step verification: WhatsApp says it's upgrading the 6-digit PIN used in two-step verification to a password, and has a separate article on how that interacts with payments.
For the wider UPI picture, my explainer on UPI Circle is useful alongside this one.
My verdict
If you're in India, WhatsApp payments is a handy way to pay friends back without opening another app, and it works with anyone on UPI. If you're in Brazil, Mexico or Indonesia, think of it mainly as a way to pay businesses. Anywhere else, including the US for overseas transfers, it isn't an option right now, so use your bank or another payments app. Whatever country you're in, never pay anyone because a chat tells you to hurry.
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Frequently asked questions
Which countries have WhatsApp payments?
WhatsApp's Help Center says you can pay registered businesses on WhatsApp in India, Brazil, Mexico and Indonesia. Person-to-person payments described on WhatsApp's own payments page are for India, using UPI.
Does WhatsApp charge fees for payments?
WhatsApp's India page says you can send and receive payments with no fees. When paying a business, you may see an additional convenience fee on the payment confirmation screen.
Can I send payments abroad with WhatsApp from the US?
No. WhatsApp's Help Center says sending funds from the US to friends and family overseas is no longer available on WhatsApp.
Does WhatsApp store my UPI PIN?
No. WhatsApp says it doesn't store your card or UPI PIN information, and you use your UPI PIN every time you send a payment.
What should I do if a WhatsApp payment wasn't me?
Report it by creating a claim. WhatsApp says its Payments Support team will investigate the claim and respond in WhatsApp.
