Payments on WhatsApp: making conversational commerce a reality

Discover how Payments on WhatsApp is not only making transactions more convenient but also bringing conversational commerce to life on your customer’s favorite channel.

Content Marketing Team Lead

Zoha Tapia

Content Marketing Team Lead

Imagine chatting with your favorite retailer about the latest fashion trends and being able to purchase that perfect outfit right within the same conversation. Or managing your financial services without ever leaving your chat window. Payments on WhatsApp makes all this possible, and much more. It’s not just a feature; it’s a paradigm shift in the way we think about shopping and payments.

Convenience and speed are paramount for your customers making the fusion of messaging and commerce not just a trend but a significant shift in consumer behavior. That’s where Payments on WhatsApp comes in as a groundbreaking feature enhancing the way businesses and customers interact and transact.

This blog post delves into the world of Payments on WhatsApp and exploring its role in conversational commerce.

What is Payments on WhatsApp?

Payments on WhatsApp is a revolutionary feature that allows customers to conduct financial transactions directly within the WhatsApp Business Platform. It essentially transforms the popular messaging app into a comprehensive tool, not just for communication but also for seamless, secure financial transactions. Leveraging the ubiquity and simplicity of WhatsApp, this feature marks a significant leap in the field of digital payments.

Payments on WhatsApp vs WhatsApp Pay: Understanding the difference?

Now, you may have heard about WhatsApp Pay, and though often used interchangeably with Payments on WhatsApp, they’re different.

Payments on WhatsApp

Definition of Payments on WhatsApp

Payments on WhatsApp is a feature tailored for businesses, enabling them to accept payments from customers. This feature is a cornerstone of WhatsApp’s foray into conversational commerce, where transactional functionalities are integrated into the customer communication journey.

Target audience: Businesses for customer transactions
Purpose: Streamline the purchasing process within a conversational channel
Integration: Requires integration with business accounts and payment gateways
User experience: Aims to provide a friction-free in-app shopping and payment experience

Key aspects include: 

WhatsApp Pay

Definition of WhatsApp Pay

WhatsApp Pay is a feature designed primarily for peer-to-peer (P2P) transactions. It’s akin to having a digital wallet within your private WhatsApp app, making it incredibly convenient to send and receive money from friends and family. The feature is designed with the simplicity and ease of use that WhatsApp is known for.

Target audience: Individual users for personal transactions
Purpose: Simplify peer-to-peer money transfers
Integration: Linked directly to individual bank accounts
User experience: Focuses on the ease of sending and receiving money

Here’s how it stands out: 

Now, that we have understood the differences, it’s time to see how Payments on WhatsApp completes your businesses conversational experience journey with conversational commerce.

Enhancing conversational commerce experiences

Your customers are looking for mobile-first conversational experiences, that conveniently take place within a single chat app. And preferably one that they’re comfortable using.

And as we mentioned in our previous blog post, conversational experience comprises of three major journeys:

  • Conversational marketing
  • Conversational support
  • And lastly conversational commerce

Click-to-chat ads paired with a customer engagement solution, helps kickstart the conversational marketing journey within WhatsApp by initiating the conversation. With the integration of an intuitive chatbot paired with WhatsApp Flows, you can take your customers from marketing to acquisition. And then with the ability to transfer chatbot conversational to live agents, you’re providing a layer of conversational support. Now, with Payments on WhatsApp, you can close the entire loop with conversational commerce.

A quick recap on what is conversational commerce
Conversational commerce refers to the intersection of messaging apps and shopping, where customers can interact with businesses, browse products, and make purchases all within a chat interface. Read our blog to know more.

Payments on WhatsApp essentially elevates this concept by streamlining the transaction process. Customers can now engage in a smooth shopping experience without leaving their conversation, making purchases as natural as chatting with a friend.

Conversational commerce journey examples

Retail

A customer inquiring about a product can receive details, photos, and even personalized recommendations. With Payments on WhatsApp, they can make an instant purchase, enhancing the overall shopping experience.

Finance

Financial institutions can offer services like account balance inquiries, transaction history, and bill payments, with customers able to complete transactions within the chat.

Telco

Telcos can utilize the platform for service inquiries, plan upgrades, and bill payments, offering customers a convenient way to manage their accounts.

Payments on WhatsApp in action

Tata AIA Life Insurance, a leading life insurance company in India, offering various types of life insurance policy have integrated Payments on WhatsApp and transformed their messaging into a one-stop-shop for their insurance policy. With WhatsApp powered by Infobip they saw a sales and revenue boost, and their customers got convenience at their fingertips.

“With time now being measured in a jiffy, and convenience being the most important parameter across all digital platforms, Payments on WhatsApp, with minimal processing steps, and upfront confirmation of policy payments, was much needed to boost consumer confidence and satisfaction. Prior to the Payment on WhatsApp service, consumers would need to go through several steps including, log in to a mobile app, authentication process, and payment gateway processing, while with payments on WhatsApp, these steps are eliminated. In the first three months of the launch of this service, approximately 3000 customers successfully paid around Rs. 40 million for renewal. Our tech partner Infobip provided incredible support in integrating payments on WhatsApp Pay into the TATA AIA Life Insurance payment system. It’s been a resounding success, and our consumers couldn’t be any happier. Team dedication and expertise made this integration a breeze. The impact on our operations and customer satisfaction has been remarkable – the convenience and security of payments on WhatsApp have won over our customers, leading to increased sales and loyalty.” 

Sanjay Arora, Executive Vice President & Head of Operations, Tata AIA Life Insurance 

Yes, Payments on WhatsApp makes conversational commerce a reality, but what are the tangible benefits?

Benefits of Payments on WhatsApp

  • Enhanced customer experience: Simplifies the purchasing journey, offering customers a one-stop platform for communication and transactions.
  • Increased conversion rates: Reduces cart abandonment by minimizing the steps needed to complete a purchase.
  • Secure transactions: Leverages advanced security protocols, ensuring safe and reliable payment processing.
  • Global reach: With WhatsApp’s vast user base, businesses can easily cater to a global audience.
  • Better customer engagement: Allows businesses to provide personalized shopping experiences and instant support.

The future of Payments on WhatsApp

Currently Payments on WhatsApp is only available in India and Brazil.

But as a business, it should be a part of your roadmap if you’re not in India or Brazil. And if you are, Payments on WhatsApp is not just a feature; it’s a transformative tool reshaping the landscape of digital commerce.

By integrating conversational commerce with secure and efficient payment solutions, WhatsApp powered by Infobip is paving the way for businesses to offer unparalleled customer experiences. As we venture further into this digital era, embracing innovations like Payments on WhatsApp will be crucial for businesses aiming to thrive in an increasingly competitive market.

Getting started with Payments on WhatsApp

To get started with Payments on WhatsApp you would need a verified business account and need to ensure adherence to local regulatory requirements.

However, there is an easier way to get up and running. Imagine having one conversational experience platform that takes care of implementation, development, linking trusted payment providers, testing, and maintenance, compliance, and the entire customer journey?

That’s where our CX consultancy team and conversational experience experts come in. Together, we can help you explore how WhatsApp Business Platform can benefit your business, connect with our experts to discuss tailored strategies for achieving your goals.

For India and Brazil

Contact us to get started with Payments on WhatsApp.

For other regions

Contact us to be on the waiting list and discuss possibilities.

Feb 12th, 2024
7 min read
Content Marketing Team Lead

Zoha Tapia

Content Marketing Team Lead