After Brazil blow\, WhatsApp committed to launch payments service in India

After Brazil blow, WhatsApp committed to launch payments service in India

It launched WhatsApp Pay, based on the UPI system in February 2018, as part of a trial with one million users

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WhatsApp payment | whatsapp

Neha Alawadhi  |  New Delhi 

WhatsApp Pay
India is WhatsApp’s largest market with over 400 million users. Photo: Shutterstock

Even after Brazil suspended the newly launched WhatsApp’s payment system, the messaging platform said it is committed to launching the service in India, a process that has been in the works since over two years now.

"Even as we continue to work with our local partners and the Central Bank in Brazil, we remain committed to launching Payments in India. UPI (Unified Payments Interface) is a lighthouse model for the rest of the world, with local banks and institutions driving innovation on a local stack that is capable of delivering financial services for all," said a spokesperson.

It was reported Wednesday that Brazil's central bank suspended the payments system launched in the country last week, citing possible damage to the Brazilian payments system in the areas of competition, efficiency and data privacy.

In an ongoing case in the Indian Supreme Court, WhatsApp said last week that it was fully compliant with the country’s data localisation requirements as specified by the banking regulator Reserve Bank of India.

India is WhatsApp’s largest market with over 400 million users.

It launched WhatsApp Pay, based on the UPI system in February 2018, as part of a trial with one million users.

Read our full coverage on WhatsApp payment
First Published: Wed, June 24 2020. 23:15 IST