WhatsApp Expands Privacy Features But Its UPI Payments Are Still Low; Can Cashback Make It Better?

WhatsApp has been expanding its feature offering, striving to beat the competition. The Meta-owned messaging platform has included a steady stream of new features that enhance the user's privacy. At the same time, WhatsApp Pay hasn't been doing so well. After the platform removed the cashback bonus, transactions slid down.

WhatsApp Pay Transactions Slide Down

WhatsApp brought in the UPI payments feature a few months back after much delay. To lure users, it even offered hefty cashback and rewards for WhatsApp Pay users. After weeks of cashback and other offers, transactions via WhatsApp Pay have dropped significantly.

The number of WhatsApp Pay transactions dropped to 6.18 million in July from 23.4 million in June. The data from NPCI or National Payments Corporation of India reveals that the value of UPI transactions on WhatsApp Pay has grown.

The data shows that WhatsApp Pay's value grew to Rs. 502 crores in July from Rs. 429.06 crores in June. It looks like WhatsApp Pay's UPI base is growing but isn't significant enough to take on competitors like PhonePe and Google Pay.

WhatsApp New Features: Privacy Enhanced?

WhatsApp Pay aside, the popular messaging platform has released a sleuth of new features for users worldwide. This includes extending the time limit to delete messages. Previously, there was just a one-hour time limit to delete an unwanted message on WhatsApp. The updated app allows users to delete a message even after 60 hours.

Additionally, WhatsApp users can block others from taking a screenshot of the View Once images. Users can also leave a group silently without notifying other group participants. Only the group admin will be notified when the member leaves. Users can also hide their online statuses, thus enhancing the overall privacy of WhatsApp users.

However, WhatsApp Pay still seems to lag behind the competition in the country. We now know that the cashback rewards were an initial incentive given to users to begin using the platform. The withdrawal has pushed users to other UPI apps like Google Pay, Paytm, and PhonePe. While its privacy features are a good touch, it would be interesting to see a few features coming to WhatsApp Pay.

(via)