Singaporeans will be able to pay local businesses right from their WhatsApp chat from today onwards. This will enable customers and businesses buy and sell directly on WhatsApp without having to go to a website, open another app or pay in person.
Supported by WhatsApp’s payments service provider partner Stripe, the new feature will enable Singapore residents (those with a WhatsApp number registered here) to pay using credit, debit cards or PayNow.
WhatsApp said that it will begin rolling out this feature to a small number of local businesses today, and it will be available to many more in the coming months.
The option to enable payments on WhatsApp in Singapore is available to local businesses using the WhatsApp Business Platform.
Other local businesses that are interested in offering this feature to their customers can work with one of WhatsApp’s business solution providers such as launch partners Vonage, Gupshup, 360dialog and Wati.io to get started.
The payment feature is currently available in two other countries – the first launch was in India in November 2020 and it was most recently made available in Brazil less than a month ago.
According to a statement by WhatsApp, this payment feature will be rolled out for more businesses and countries in the future.
Stephane Kasriel
“Starting today, people in Singapore can pay their local merchants on WhatsApp in just a few taps.
This seamless and secure experience will transform the way people and businesses in Singapore connect on WhatsApp,”
said Stephane Kasriel, Head of Fintech at Meta.
Sarita Singh
“We’re excited to power this new feature for WhatsApp because it’s great for both businesses and their customers in Singapore.
Businesses can now expand their revenue streams and access a wider customer base, while customers can make payments conveniently knowing that their payment details are secure,”
said Sarita Singh, Regional Head and Managing Director for Southeast Asia at Stripe.
