WhatsApp to soon let you book train, bus tickets in India

You will soon be able to book a train or bus seat and make the payment for it on WhatsApp. The Meta-owned company on Wednesday announced a spate of new business-centric features, including Flows, which is a new functionality for businesses to offer customers the ability to book train and bus tickets without leaving the app. WhatsApp said Flows will let businesses offer “rich menus and customisable forms that support different needs.” Essentially, existing and new businesses will be able to add more consumer-friendly tools that will be natively supported in the app, without requiring customers to leave the app.

“We’re launching Flows so businesses can offer more experiences like quickly choosing your train seat, ordering a meal or booking an appointment – all without leaving your chat,” said WhatsApp, announcing that Flows will be available to businesses across the globe in the coming weeks. Meta chief executive officer Mark Zuckerberg made the announcements at the Conversations conference in Mumbai held on Wednesday.

More payment services on WhatsApp

Since Flows is supposed to make booking and shopping easier within the app, WhatsApp has added more payment options for customers for a holistic experience. Businesses on the WhatsApp Business platform can now offer customers the facility to make payments using credit and debit cards, UPI (unified payments interface) apps, and more. Meta has partnered with Indian payment gateways, such as Razorpay and PayU to allow card and UPI transactions “to make paying for something as simple as sending a message.”

In other words, when you add items to your cart when shopping on WhatsApp, you will be able to use the payment method of your choice. Previously, you could only use WhatsApp Pay — the company’s own UPI-powered payment service — to pay for items. Other than cards, WhatsApp will also support payment apps such as Google Pay, PhonePe, Paytm, and several other apps.

Meta Verified Businesses on WhatsApp Business

WhatsApp also announced that it is now possible for businesses to receive verification from Meta. To become Meta Verified, businesses will need to “demonstrate their authenticity to Meta.” After proper verification, Meta will provide businesses with a verified badge, enhanced account support, and impersonation protection. There will be additional features, such as the ability to create a custom WhatsApp page that is easily discoverable through a web search and multi-device support, available to verified businesses. “We’ll begin testing Meta Verified soon with small businesses using the WhatsApp Business app before introducing it to businesses on the WhatsApp Business Platform in the future,” said WhatsApp.