Now Send Money to Any UPI ID Using WhatsApp

Jun. 15, 2018

Since its release, WhatsApp’s paymentsfeature had been limitedto sending and receiving to and from other people who hadlinked their UPI IDs with WhatsApp. But now, you cantransfer money to any UPI ID, irrespective of which app the person uses.

WhatsApp now gives you the option to eitherenter the recipient’s UPI ID or scan a QR codeto transfer money to or request it from any person using other apps such asBHIM-UPI,Tez,Paytm(orother walletswhich support UPI), or net banking apps.

To be able to send or receive money using WhatsApp,go to Settings and tap on Payments. On this page, you can manage your UPI accounts and even use multiple accounts like I am using. Next,tap on New Payment.

On this page, you’ll find the options to Pay to a UPI ID or to scan a QR Code of the other person from apps such as BHIM or Tez. The latter option is alsoconvenient when you’re paying merchantswho have UPI accounts.

You can tap on either of the options and after you input the UPI credentials of the other person, WhatsApp will take a moment or two to verify the ID, just to safeguard that the other ID is valid. Then, you will be prompted tochoose whether you want to send money or request for a payment.

Based on which option you select, you will be directed to a new page where you can enter the amount to be sent or received.

Likewise, whensomeone else demands you to pay using UPI, you will receive a notification about the collection request. When you tap on the notification, you’ll be taken to a new page whereyou can accept or decline to paythe amount. Alternatively, you canhead over to Payments in Settingsand you’ll see the pending requests on the top of the page.

There are two things you must remember to be able to use the feature – one, WhatsApp Pay is currently only on an invite basis which means you will have to request a friend to invite you, and second, your UPI ID must be linked to the same mobile number as your WhatsApp.

This is a welcome addition to WhatsApp and is likely to give a great boost to UPI looking at the massive user base of WhatsApp in India. The messenger has20 times as many users as Paytm, and this is likely to prompt more users to use WhatsApp as the default means for sending money.