WhatsApp Rolls Out New Business Features in India, Introducing Flows, Payments, and Meta Verified

• ByStartupStory     |    September 20, 2023

WhatsApp has introduced a series of new features for businesses in India during Meta’s second annual Conversations conference held in Mumbai. These features encompass Flows, enabling customized chat experiences; Payments, simplifying in-chat transactions; and Meta Verified, providing businesses with a verification badge and additional benefits.

Flows: This feature empowers businesses to create interactive menus and forms within chats, allowing customers to perform various actions without exiting the conversation. For instance, a bank can offer customers the ability to book an appointment to open an account, a food delivery service can facilitate orders from partner restaurants, and an airline can streamline flight check-ins and seat selection. Flows will become available to businesses worldwide using the WhatsApp Business Platform in the coming weeks.

Payments: This feature streamlines the purchase process directly within the chat. Indian customers can now add items to their cart and make payments through various methods, including supported UPI apps, debit and credit cards, and more. WhatsApp has partnered with Razorpay and PayU to make transactions as straightforward as sending a message. Payments are currently operational in Brazil and Singapore, with Indian availability.

Meta Verified: This feature enables businesses to obtain verification from Meta, assuring customers they are interacting with the correct business. To earn the Meta Verified status, businesses must demonstrate their authenticity to Meta. In return, they receive a verified badge, enhanced account support, and protection against impersonation. Meta Verified also offers premium features, such as creating a custom WhatsApp page easily discoverable via web search and multi-device support for multiple employees to respond to customers. This feature will undergo testing with small businesses using the WhatsApp Business app before extending to businesses on the WhatsApp Business Platform in the future.

Mark Zuckerberg, Meta’s founder and CEO, emphasized India’s pivotal role in driving WhatsApp’s innovations. He commended India’s leadership in adopting messaging as an efficient means for individuals and businesses to accomplish tasks. India is one of WhatsApp’s largest markets, boasting over 500 million users.

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