Whatsapp to provide in-app purchases

Facebook Inc. has said its WhatsApp messaging app will begin to provide in-app purchases and hosting services.

Whatsapp will now permit businesses to sell products on the Whatsapp app via Facebook shops, an online store launched in May. Users will be able to browse through a store’s catalogue in a chat, add items to their cart and place orders.

The company said it also plans to invest in the expansion of ways for consumers to check available products and to expand partnerships with business solution providers to manage customer communications.

A new option for businesses to manage their WhatsApp messages via hosting services will also be offered by Facebook. The company’s research reports that consumers prefer to message a business to get help and are more likely to make a purchase when they do sp.

However, business customers will be charged for some of the services offered. WhatsApp’s chief operating officer, Matt Idema, said in a statement that WhatsApp would offer the hosting service for free and the enterprise tools would cost 0.5 cents to 9 cents per message delivered.

Idema stated the shopping tool would become available in 2020, while message hosting would become available in 2021. The app currently has a customer base of tens of thousands of businesses.

Photo credit: Facebook Newsroom