Meta Platforms is rolling out bill payment services on WhatsApp in India, expanding the messaging platform's financial services offerings in one of its largest markets.
According to Bloomberg, WhatsApp will gradually introduce its bill payment feature across India over the coming weeks. The service will be available on both Android and iOS devices. The new feature will allow users in India to make bill payments directly through WhatsApp, bringing another everyday financial transaction onto the messaging platform.
The latest feature covers electricity, gas, water, FASTag, insurance, credit card and loan repayments. The feature is powered by the Bharat Connect network and will be rolled out gradually across India over the coming weeks.
WhatsApp India's bill payment service will cover 22,722 billers across 30 categories, giving users access to a broad range of payment services. The rollout is expected to take place gradually rather than becoming available to all users across the country at once.
The service will be available to users on both Android and iOS devices as Meta progressively expands access across the country.
How To Access WhatsApp Bill Payments
Users can access the bill payment feature through the INR icon displayed at the top of WhatsApp's home screen. From there, users will be able to access bill payment options and manage their accounts within the app. WhatsApp will also allow users to manage multiple accounts for the same biller under a single provider, potentially making it easier for customers who maintain more than one account with a particular service provider.
Payment options will include UPI, debit cards and credit cards, giving users multiple ways to settle their bills directly through WhatsApp.
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The move strengthens WhatsApp's position in India's rapidly expanding digital payments ecosystem. WhatsApp already offers payments in India through its WhatsApp Pay service, allowing users to send and receive money using the Unified Payments Interface (UPI).
With bill payments being added to the platform, Meta is seeking to increase the range of financial and utility-related services available to users without requiring them to switch to another application. The bill payment service is expected to become available over the coming weeks as Meta progressively expands the rollout across India.
WhatsApp has a massive user base in India, making the country a key market for Meta as it develops additional services around its messaging platform. The expansion also comes as digital bill payments become increasingly integrated into India's broader digital payments ecosystem, with consumers using mobile platforms to pay for utilities and other recurring expenses.
Meta's latest move could put WhatsApp in greater competition with established digital payments and financial services platforms in India, which already offer bill payment services across multiple categories.
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