WhatsApp launches digital payments in Brazil

After testing a beta version in India, WhatsApp on Monday announced that it has launched in-app payments in Brazil.

The payments are enabled through Facebook Pay and require no fees from consumers to use the payments service but merchants will pay a processing fee to receive payments.

"Payments on WhatsApp are beginning to roll out to people across Brazil beginning today and we look forward to bringing it to everyone as we go forward," the company said in the post.

Users need to link a credit or debit card to their WhatsApp account, and transactions are secured with either fingerprint or a six-digit PIN. The company says it will support debit or credit cards from Banco do Brasil, Nubank, and Sicredi, and it is working with Brazilian payments processor Cielo, The Verge reported.

Facebook acquired WhatsApp for about USD 19 billion in 2014. As of February this year, the messaging service had more than 2 billion users.

( With inputs from ANI )