WhatsApp may be preparing to offer payments in more countries

WhatsApp may be getting ready to let people pay inside the app in more countries, including the United States, Canada, Germany, Italy and Australia. The hint comes from a test version of the app. WhatsApp has not confirmed any expansion.

What the test version shows

Today, WhatsApp Payments works in only four countries: India, Brazil, Singapore and Mexico. A new Payments section in settings has a country selector that also lists Australia, Austria, Canada, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and the United States. According to WABetaInfo, it showed up in an iOS beta first and now appears in Android beta 2.26.43.7.

• A settings button lets you add a payment method through Accounts Center.
• You can save an email, phone number and shipping address, and change them any time.
• WhatsApp would use that data to fill in delivery details when you buy something.
• You can request your payment data, including card and shipping details, and delete it.

WhatsApp says it encrypts payment information and stores it separately from your profile data. Saving a method is meant to make buying faster on Meta apps.

What is not known yet

WABetaInfo says Payments launched only where WhatsApp had approval from regulators and deals with local payment providers. The new sections suggest groundwork for other countries. On Android, the feature is still in development and has not reached beta testers. WhatsApp has not said when it will go public or which countries will get it.