WhatsApp is introducing prepaid phone recharge services in India through a partnership with PayU, allowing users to top up mobile plans for major carriers directly within the app. This move aims to boost payment adoption in a market where WhatsApp Pay significantly trails competitors like PhonePe and Google Pay despite having over 500 million users. The feature represents WhatsApp's latest effort to increase transaction volume after UPI onboarding limits were lifted in 2024.
Background
WhatsApp Pay launched in India in 2020 but has struggled to gain market share in the country's digital payments landscape dominated by UPI-based apps. The National Payments Corporation of India lifted onboarding restrictions on WhatsApp Pay in late 2024 after years of phased rollouts.
- Source
- TechCrunch
- Published
- Apr 23, 2026 at 09:28 PM
- Score
- 5.0 / 10