WhatsApp Announces New Features For Businesses At Mumbai Event; Details Here

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Wednesday announced some new WhatsApp Features that will be "really useful" for people and businesses.

The new features were announced that the company's Conversations conference in Mumbai, he said on his WhatsApp Channel.

The first is WhatsApp Flows, which lets businesses create customized experiences right within chats.

Providing more details about the Flows feature, WhatsApp in a blog post said, "We’re launching Flows so businesses can offer more experiences like quickly choosing your train seat, ordering a meal or booking an appointment – all without leaving your chat."

With Flows, businesses will be able to provide rich menus and customizable forms that support different needs.

We’ll make Flows available to businesses around the world using the WhatsApp Business Platform in the coming weeks, the company said.

WhatsApp is making it easier to complete a purchase directly in the chat.

Starting today, people in India can add items to their cart and send a payment using the method of their choice from all supported UPI apps, debit and credit cards, and more.

"We’re excited to be working with partners Razorpay and PayU to make paying for something as simple as sending a message," the blog post said.

WhatsApp said it is making it possible for businesses to receive verification from Meta, which helps users know they they are chatting with the right business.

To become Meta Verified, businesses demonstrate their authenticity to Meta and in return receive a verified badge, enhanced account support and impersonation protection.

For businesses interested in signing up, Meta Verified will come with additional premium features including the ability to create a custom WhatsApp page that is easily discoverable via a web search, and multi-device support so multiple employees can respond to customers.

"We’ll begin testing Meta Verified soon with small businesses using the WhatsApp Business app before introducing it to businesses on the WhatsApp Business Platform in the future," the company said.