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WhatsApp supports UPI payments like other apps in India. The messaging app started a pilot for this feature a few years ago, but it still lags behind the likes of PhonePe, Google Pay and Paytm. But soon, the Meta-owned platform could get a big head start on its rivals, with rumors suggesting that WhatsApp will soon offer international UPI payments for users in India.

That's right, WhatsApp can actually take on the likes of PayPal with its UPI payment service that will be accessible in other countries. Details about this supposed feature were shared this week by an X user named AssembleDebug. The tipster talks about digging through the messaging app to source future updates and features that could make their way to users. He also shared a screenshot, which shows an international payment option with an off/on drop-down in the menu.

Once you enable the international payment option, WhatsApp will take you to another page, where you can see that the payment feature seems to be limited to businesses and only works in supported countries, which may be UPI-supporting countries. . The page also mentions that payments can be sent for up to 3 months, and we're not sure how that works. You can enable international payments on WhatsApp by authorizing using your four or six-digit UPI PIN.

WhatsApp has more than 400 million active users in India, and UPI has become a popular mode of payment since the country's government pushed hard for digital payments. The combo of these two services, and enabling international payments on top of that, could be the death knell for many payment services. Having said that, UPI payments are linked through bank accounts, so it's clear that forex charges will be factored into the final amount, and we're keen to see how those numbers work out so people can actually start using the service. When it is officially launched. We'll keep an eye on future WhatsApp beta releases to watch for any signs of a special UPI feature and keep you up-to-date on its possible availability.

Meanwhile, WhatsApp has added a quick shortcut for the UPI Payment Scanner in its latest Android beta update, which allows people to quickly scan QR codes and make UPI payments through their bank accounts in the country.