WhatsApp Bill Payments: The Future of Mobile Billing in India?

WhatsApp’s Big Plan for India

With over 500 million users in India, it’s no surprise that WhatsApp wants to make itself even more useful for Indians. The latest development suggests that WhatsApp is working on a feature that allows users to pay their bills directly within the app, eliminating the need for other services.

The Functionality Revealed

A recent APK teardown of WhatsApp’s latest beta version for Android revealed the hidden functionality. The feature will allow users to pay a variety of bills, including electricity, mobile prepaid recharges, LPG gas payments, water bills, landline postpaid bills, and rent payments. Of course, the list may grow as the feature is refined and expanded.

The Connection to UPI

WhatsApp already allows Indians to send money to contacts and make payments to businesses via UPI. The bill payment system would be an expansion of this feature. Although the launch date is unclear, it’s likely to happen within the next few months.

Implications and Motivations

India’s National Payments Corporation recently lifted the cap on WhatsApp Pay’s user onboarding, allowing WhatsApp to offer financial services to all of its 500+ million users in India. The bill payments feature will likely be a part of a push to get users to adopt WhatsApp Pay.

• Expanding financial services
• Boosting user engagement
• Potential growth for the app