SINGAPORE: WhatsApp users in Singapore will be able to pay some local businesses via a new in-chat feature from Tuesday (May 9).

This payment feature, which will enable customers and businesses to buy and sell directly on WhatsApp, is being rolled out to some Singapore-based businesses, the messaging platform said in a press release.

It added the feature will be “available to many more in the coming months”.

According to the WhatsApp website, this payment option is already available in Brazil and India.

It was launched in Brazil in June 2020, marking the first time the payments platform used on Facebook was woven into WhatsApp. The messaging platform is owned by Meta.

The option to enable payments on WhatsApp in Singapore is available to local businesses using the WhatsApp Business Platform, it said.

Local businesses such as lifestyle boutique Tye Tye, pastry shop Baker’s 13 and plant-based butcher Love Handle are already on board.

Other local businesses that are interested in offering this feature to their customers can work with WhatsApp’s business solution providers, it added.

The platform is supported by payments service provider Stripe, and will allow Singapore residents with a locally-registered WhatsApp number to pay using Visa, MasterCard and American Express credit cards, debit cards or PayNow.

In response to queries from CNA, WhatsApp said customers who have made a payment will be shown a confirmation screen stating “Thank you for your payment”. They can also check on the status of their transaction via the “order details” page within the app.

There is also no limit to how much a person can pay in a single transaction, with WhatsApp adding that it does not charge any fees.

The messaging service said it works with trusted payment partners to protect its users and its partners are required to comply with payment card industry data security standards.

Partners must also provide fraud detection and support industry-standard security practices such as encryption and tokenisation to protect card data.

“Furthermore, our WhatsApp policies require legal name and identity to verify eligibility to use payments on WhatsApp,” it said, adding that customer information also goes directly to the payment partner and is not processed or seen by WhatsApp.