Overview
- WhatsApp announced the rollout on Thursday and has begun a gradual release across Android and iOS that will reach all users in India over the coming weeks.
- The feature is built on the Bharat Connect (BBPS) network and gives access to 22,722 billers across 30 categories including electricity, gas, water, FASTag, insurance, credit cards and loan repayments.
- Users open the Payments tab by tapping the ₹ icon on the home screen, add or confirm account details, see pre-fetched bill amounts on a Payments Home, and manage multiple accounts under a single biller before paying.
- Payments support UPI as well as debit and credit cards, and the launch follows rapid growth in WhatsApp Pay activity that processed about 150 million transactions in June 2026.
- The move makes WhatsApp a direct competitor to PhonePe, Google Pay and Paytm for routine household payments and could draw regulatory attention tied to India’s rules on platform payment services and data handling.