WhatsApp Takes On PhonePe, Google Pay With Bill Payments In India

Meta-owned WhatsApp has launched bill payments in India, allowing users to find, manage, and pay household and utility bills directly within the messaging app.

Powered by the Bharat Connect network, the feature gives users access to 22,722 billers across 30 categories, including electricity, gas, water, FASTag, insurance, credit card payments, and loan repayments.

The feature is being rolled out gradually and will be available to Android and iOS users across India over the coming weeks. 

To use the feature, users can tap the “₹” icon at the top of the WhatsApp home screen, select a bill category and biller, enter their account details, and view the outstanding amount. They can then make the payment using UPI, a debit card, or a credit card. 

WhatsApp will also allow users to manage multiple accounts under a single biller, such as utility connections for their homes, offices, or family members. Users will be able to view past payments and upcoming bills within the app. 

“With bill payments, we’re bringing… simplicity to one of the most routine tasks in every household. No more juggling apps or tracking multiple due dates. We want to make paying a bill on WhatsApp as effortless as sending a message, and help bring the convenience of digital payments to people across the remotest parts of the country,” said Arun Srinivas, MD and country head of Meta India. 

The launch comes as Meta looks to expand WhatsApp’s role beyond messaging and deepen its presence in India’s digital payments market. The app already allows users to make UPI payments, mobile recharges, and metro ticket bookings.

The bill payment feature will put WhatsApp in more direct competition with PhonePe, Google Pay, and Paytm, which already allow users to pay utility and other recurring bills through their apps.

However, WhatsApp Pay still has considerable ground to cover. In July 2026, it processed 16.78 Cr UPI transactions worth ₹12,957 Cr, ranking eighth among UPI apps and trailing market leaders PhonePe, Google Pay, and Paytm by a wide margin. 

WhatsApp faced restrictions on the number of users it could onboard for UPI after launching the service in India in 2020. In December 2024, the NPCI removed the cap on the number of users WhatsApp Pay could onboard, allowing it to offer UPI services to its entire user base in India. 

WhatsApp’s payments ambitions have also received a boost from a major leadership change at Meta. In June, CRED founder Kunal Shah stepped away from the fintech unicorn’s day-to-day operations to take over as the global head of WhatsApp. The move coincided with Meta leading a ₹8,550 Cr ($900 Mn) Series H funding round in CRED. 

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