WhatsApp to Offer Users Refund Coupons on UPI Payments

Facebook-owned instant messaging platform WhatsApp has a payments feature, but not that many people accept it, at least in India for now. However, the company may have thought of a way to change that. Based on advice from Google Pay, Google's rival payment app, WhatsApp Payments is also reportedly planning to return cash to users who make payments using WhatsApp Payments. According to a report in WhatsApp tracker WABetaInfo, the app may get refunds on UPI payments via WhatsApp soon.

To boost usage and pit it against rivals like Google Pay and Paytm, WhatsApp is looking for cash back coupons. The function, according to WABetaInfo, is currently under development and cannot be accessed by any user. However, it is said that it will land in a future version of the app. The report also shares a screenshot of the upcoming feature. The screenshot shows a new lock on top of the list of chats in WhatsApp showing a gift icon and a message that says: "Get a refund on your next payment" and "Tap to start." The report also says that the feature will be limited to users in India and any payment of Rs 10 or more may be eligible for cash back coupons.

WhatsApp launched UPI-based payments in early 2018, but the feature remained in beta for about a couple of years later until WhatsApp got all the necessary approvals. WhatsApp payments were rolled out for all users last year, but have failed to attract substantial attention in India. WhatsApp Payments competes with Google Pay, which also offers users a refund on every transaction.