WhatsApp, the popular instant messaging app, is now more than just a platform for chatting with friends and family.
It has introduced a feature allowing users to send money through its UPI payment service, WhatsApp Pay.
Recently, the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) gave WhatsApp a significant boost by removing the UPI user onboarding limit.
This decision means WhatsApp can now provide its UPI payment services to its entire Indian user base, which exceeds 500 million people.
Previously, the rollout of WhatsApp Pay was phased and restricted to smaller user groups.
Why Was There a Limit on WhatsApp Pay?
The NPCI, which manages India’s UPI system, initially imposed limits on WhatsApp Pay to ensure a gradual and controlled rollout.
This step was taken to address concerns related to scalability, performance, and security within India’s sensitive digital payment ecosystem.
When WhatsApp Pay first launched, only a small percentage of UPI users had access. Over time, NPCI raised this limit, allowing more users to join. By November 2022, the user cap had increased to 100 million.
The recent removal of this restriction marks a significant milestone, enabling WhatsApp to serve its entire user base in India.
What Does This Mean for Users?
With the onboarding limit removed, every WhatsApp user in India can now access WhatsApp Pay to send money.
This change simplifies digital transactions for millions of users and strengthens WhatsApp’s position in India’s competitive digital payments market.
The development reflects the growing importance of digital payments in India and WhatsApp’s potential to play a major role in this transformation.
