WhatsApp may expand payments to more countries
WhatsApp is developing a new Payments section on iOS, and this may indicate plans to expand the feature beyond its current markets. The update will allow users to pay their contacts and save some payment settings. Nothing is confirmed at this stage, and WhatsApp has not shared any official plans about where payments might expand next.
| Key Points | Details |
|---|---|
| Feature: | Payments section for iOS |
| Status: | Under development |
| Availability info: | This feature is currently in development and not yet available for beta testing. |
| Previous news: | WhatsApp introduces media previews in the chat list! |
WhatsApp already offers payments in a few countries
Payments on WhatsApp are currently available in specific regions, where users can pay for goods and services directly within the app. The feature works through UPI in India, the country's real-time payment system that connects directly to bank accounts. WhatsApp implemented PIX support in Brazil for peer-to-peer transfers. Singapore operates through a partnership with Stripe and the local PayNow system. In Mexico, WhatsApp allows registered businesses to accept payments through secure transactions directly within their chats. In these markets, WhatsApp had to get regulatory approval and find a local payment partner before launching the product.
WhatsApp is now developing a Payments section for iOS
It appears that WhatsApp could be looking at bringing payment features to new regions. This would allow more users to send and receive payments without using another app. We discovered the news by analyzing the WhatsApp beta for iOS 26.33.10.70 update, which is available on TestFlight. With this update, WhatsApp is developing a new section for payments where users can manage their cards and billing details. This will make it easier for more users to complete payments directly within WhatsApp.
What the new Payments section will include on WhatsApp
WhatsApp is organizing a new screen to configure payments into three sections. At the top of the interface, there is an option that lets users pay a contact. With this feature, users will be able to choose a contact and enter the amount to send. They will also be able to save their credit and debit cards, which they can use to pay their contacts and make their next purchases faster. The card form asks for expiry date, CVV, and a billing address that includes country, full name, street address, city, state, and zip code. The third section includes shipping information, where users can save an email address, phone number, and shipping address. The feature will also offer the ability to download or delete all saved payment information.
New countries will be available in the billing address selector
From the attached image, you can see that the country selector for the billing address shows the Netherlands as an option. The presence of a European country in the form suggests that WhatsApp is at least considering the infrastructure needed to support users outside of its current payment markets. The list also includes other countries like Australia, Austria, Canada, Germany, Ghana, Italy, Spain, and the United States. This does not necessarily confirm a launch in these countries, although this would allow the app to accept billing addresses from these users. This suggests that WhatsApp is not limiting this section to its current payment markets. As a result, this could indicate that WhatsApp is working on making its payment infrastructure compatible with a potential expansion in the future.
WhatsApp's new CEO has a payments background
The timing of this development is important. WhatsApp recently appointed Kunal Shah as its new head. Will Cathcart stepped down after seven years in the role. Shah is the founder of CRED, one of India's most recognized fintech companies, built on credit card payments and financial rewards. His background is focused on payments and financial products. This does not mean that payments will automatically become a priority under his leadership, but it adds an interesting layer to news like this. Maybe Kunal Shah is already involved in this potential plan, or maybe not. Only time will tell.
What we do not know yet about WhatsApp Payments
WhatsApp has not confirmed any plans to expand payments to new countries. The feature is in a very early stage of development. This means that nothing about its final form is decided yet. WhatsApp could expand payments to new markets in the future or even drop the idea. Payments will likely expand to more countries at some point, but it is unclear when this could happen or which markets would be included. Any expansion would also require regulatory approval, and this usually takes time for every new country. For now, the only thing confirmed is that WhatsApp is working on a new section for payments, which lists more countries beyond those where payments are currently available.
WhatsApp is developing a Payments section for a future iOS update
The new section to configure payments is currently under development on iOS. WhatsApp has not enabled it for beta testers yet, and it is still not confirmed for release. In case WhatsApp decides to move forward with it, we expect it to roll out to some beta testers in a future update. At the moment, no information about a possible release is available.
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