How to accept payments on WhatsApp: in-chat payments, payment links and local QR codes, country by country

The sale happens in the chat; then the customer asks how to pay. This guide is for small businesses anywhere that want a clear answer: where WhatsApp can take payments itself, what to send everywhere else, what it costs, and the two rules that stop the payment step going wrong.

By Ritchie, ReplyKit · Published 17 October 2026 · 7 min read

Can customers pay inside WhatsApp?

Only in a few countries, and only for businesses on the official WhatsApp Business Platform. Meta's developer documentation has Payments API guides for India and Brazil, and its documentation index also lists a Mexico section covering orders, payment links and cash vouchers. If you use the free WhatsApp Business app, or sell anywhere else, you send a link or a QR code instead.

"WhatsApp Pay" usually means the person-to-person feature in India, where WhatsApp's payments page describes sending and receiving money with no fees, from anyone who uses UPI-based apps. That is for people paying people. For a business collecting payment on orders, India's route is the Payments API: the business sends an order details message and the customer can pay through the UPI apps on their phone. Meta lists deeper payment gateway integrations with Razorpay, PayU, Billdesk and Zaakpay.

In Brazil the Payments API lets a business send an order with a dynamic Pix code, a payment link, a Boleto, or a one-click card payment. Meta's Pix guide is clear about the limits: WhatsApp only carries the conversation, and the business must integrate with a bank or payment provider to create the Pix code and confirm payment. The Brazil overview adds that WhatsApp does not reconcile payments; you do that with your provider.

How to accept payments on WhatsApp, country by country

Use the local instant-payment method where there is one, because customers trust it and fees are low, and keep a card payment link for everyone else.

A few notes from the sources. PayNow is free to retail customers and runs 24 hours a day, according to the Association of Banks in Singapore. Bank Indonesia describes QRIS as real-time and usable from Indonesian payment apps. In Malaysia, PayNet's DuitNow covers transfers by mobile number or DuitNow ID and payment by QR code. For the full Malaysia and Singapore flow, including deposits and the receipt message, see our guide to taking payments in Malaysia and Singapore.

How do you send a payment link on WhatsApp?

Create a link in your payment provider, confirm the order in the chat, paste the link with the total and a deadline, and send a receipt once the provider confirms payment. It takes about a minute once the link exists.

1. Create the link. In Stripe, PayPal or your local gateway, create a payment link for the product or for the exact order total, and add your business name and logo.
2. Confirm the order first. Send one message with the items, options, delivery or pickup details and the total, and ask the customer to reply YES.
3. Send the link with the total and a deadline. Paste the link with the amount and how long the order is held, for example until 8pm today.
4. Check the payment yourself. Wait for the provider's notification or check your dashboard. Do not rely on a screenshot alone.
5. Send a receipt and the next step. Confirm the amount received and tell the customer exactly what happens next and when.

Stripe Payment Links are made for this: Stripe describes them as a way to sell without a website, created in a few clicks with no code, shareable by message, and convertible into a QR code. PayPal links work similarly for customers who prefer PayPal. Reusable links suit fixed-price items; create a fresh link for custom totals.

What does taking payment on WhatsApp cost? A worked example

WhatsApp itself charges a business nothing to receive money by link or QR; the cost is your payment provider's fee. Card links cost more than local instant transfers.

Say a hypothetical online florist in Malaysia sells 80 bouquets a month at RM150 and takes every order by Stripe payment link. Stripe's pricing page showed 3% + RM1.00 per successful card charge for Malaysia when we checked in October 2026.

Your rates will differ by country, provider and card type, so do this sum with your own provider's published price. The lesson travels: offer the local instant method first and keep the card link as the backup.

Rules for asking for payment on WhatsApp

Never ask for card numbers in the chat, never change payment details by message, and always confirm receipt in writing. The first is WhatsApp's rule; the other two protect you from fraud.

• No card numbers in chat. The WhatsApp Business Messaging Policy tells businesses not to share or ask people to share full-length payment card numbers, financial account numbers, ID card numbers or other sensitive identifiers. A payment link or QR code keeps those details out of the conversation.
• You own the transaction. The same policy says businesses are solely responsible for their transactions and sales terms, and WhatsApp is not responsible for processing, paying for or fulfilling sales. Put your refund and cancellation terms in writing; our deposit and cancellation templates help.
• Payment details never change by chat. Publish your official payment methods on your website and tell customers that any message asking them to pay a different account is not from you.
• A screenshot is not a payment. Check your bank or provider before releasing goods.

For overdue invoices, see our payment reminder templates.

Can an AI agent take payments on WhatsApp?

Not by itself. An AI agent can confirm what the customer wants and tell them how to pay, but the payment runs through your bank or provider, and a person should check it arrived.

ReplyKit does not take or process payments in chat and does not verify transfers. What it does is answer the questions that come before payment (price, stock, delivery, booking) from your own content, in the customer's language; tell the customer how to pay using the payment link or method you put in its knowledge; and hand the chat to you in one click to confirm the order and send the receipt. It connects through Quick Connect, an unofficial QR pairing rather than the official API, so it cannot use Meta's in-chat Payments API, and Meta does not sanction the connection, so a number can be restricted. You see one plain notice before connecting, and pressing Connect is your acceptance of section 3 of our terms. If you need in-chat UPI or Pix checkout, use an official WhatsApp Business Platform provider instead. If you need the pre-payment questions answered at 11pm, try ReplyKit free for 7 days; plans start at $29 a month.

Frequently asked questions

ReplyKit is an independent product and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Meta or WhatsApp. Prices for other vendors and payment providers are taken from their public pages as checked in October 2026 and may change. This article is general guidance, not legal or financial advice.