Accepting Payments Inside WhatsApp in India: UPI, Cards and Payment Links Explained

Yes, Indian businesses can accept payments inside WhatsApp. On 19 September 2023, WhatsApp announced that users in India could pay businesses with credit cards, debit cards, net banking and any UPI app, through payment partners PayU and Razorpay. Today Meta documents three integration modes for the India Payments API, with different gateways, refund handling and set-up work. This guide, as of November 2026, explains which mode fits a D2C brand.

What did WhatsApp launch in 2023?

Before September 2023, in-chat payments in India were limited to UPI-based WhatsApp Pay. TechCrunch reported that the new option added cards, net banking and any UPI app, available to businesses in India on the WhatsApp Business platform according to WhatsApp. The article lists no fees, transaction limits or verification rules, so none are stated here. It also notes that WhatsApp's payment service began as a 2020 pilot.

For a more recent signal, the Business Today report on the WhatsApp Business Summit in Mumbai, dated 24 September 2025, says small businesses can accept payments inside WhatsApp with QR codes. The report gives no rules or fees for that feature. Check Meta's current documentation before relying on it.

Which payment modes does Meta offer?

Meta's India Payments API page lists three modes.

(source for the table: https://developers.facebook.com/docs/whatsapp/cloud-api/payments-api/payments-in)

Other details from the same page:

• UPI Intent and Payment Links have no native support for other payment methods, and payment links there are on a limited-access basis.
• Deep Integration natively supports UPI, cards, net banking and wallets.
• EPL sends the gateway link inside a message template with one dynamic URL button, which WhatsApp shows as a payment card. No backend changes are needed.
• Razorpay is available directly for EPL. PayU and Cashfree require allowlisting.

What do you need before you start?

The prerequisites differ by mode.

• Deep Integration: the gateway account owner must authorise linking to Meta Business Suite, and you need Essential Payments APIs at Solution Partner or Tech Provider level.
• UPI Intent and Payment Links: your VPA IDs, MCC and PC from the gateway, plus access to its UPI Intent, payment link and webhook API docs.
• EPL: an active production account with a supported gateway, a compliant message template, and direct gateway links that are not redirected or wrapped in your own domain. PayU and Cashfree also need your Messaging account ID, a sample link and your gateway choice for allowlisting.
• All modes: your own systems to trigger orders and post payments.

The free WhatsApp Business App route is not covered by Meta's Payments API page. What a small seller can do inside the app is not confirmed here.

Which mode suits a D2C brand?

Meta's own recommended use cases name ticketing, payment reminders and upgrading existing payment links. D2C retail is not named. Using Meta's logic:

1. You already send Razorpay payment links and want them in chat. EPL is the lightest. It keeps your gateway webhooks, as Meta recommends for upgrading existing links.
2. You need refunds and status inside WhatsApp APIs. Deep Integration, with a supported gateway.
3. Your gateway is not supported for Deep Integration. UPI Intent and Payment Links, if your gateway supports them, accepting that refunds and status webhooks are not available through WhatsApp.

For example, a brand that confirms COD orders on WhatsApp could send a prepaid payment link in the same chat to turn some of them into prepaid orders. See COD to prepaid conversion and reducing RTO. Whether the conversion is worth it depends on your own data. No conversion figure is claimed here.

What does it cost?

Meta's Payments API page does not list gateway fees or WhatsApp payment fees, and I did not find a published fee on the pages opened. Your gateway sets its own charges. Ask Razorpay, PayU, Cashfree or your provider for the rate card in writing. Message costs are separate: Meta has charged per delivered message since 1 July 2025. Read the WhatsApp commerce guide for the dates and categories.

For UPI rules on small merchants, see UPI P2PM rules. For when your own-channel cash reaches you, see early COD remittance. Tax and regulatory questions on collecting payments are for your chartered accountant. This page is general information, not legal or tax advice.

How do refunds and disputes work?

It depends on the mode. With Deep Integration, refunds and payment status webhooks run through WhatsApp APIs. With UPI Intent and Payment Links, refunds and status webhooks are not available through WhatsApp. With EPL, refunds and status come from your gateway's tools and callbacks. Meta says payment issues go to Meta direct support with the case type "WaBiz: Business Payments API".

What is a sensible rollout order?

1. Pick the flow. Decide whether payment happens at order time, at COD confirmation, or as a reminder for an unpaid order. One flow is enough for the first month.
2. Pick the mode from your gateway. Look at the gateway list above. If your gateway is on neither list, ask your provider before you plan anything.
3. Check the template. For EPL, the message template must be compliant and carry one dynamic URL button, and the link must be the direct gateway link, not wrapped in your own domain.
4. Test with real small payments and refund one, so you know which system holds the refund record.
5. Reconcile. Match each WhatsApp payment to your order system and your gateway settlement report. Mismatches are the common problem when three systems hold one order.
6. Keep the consent trail. Payment messages are still messages, so the opt-in and template rules in the WhatsApp commerce guide apply.

A seller who also sells on Amazon.in or Flipkart should keep the two flows apart. Marketplace orders are paid and settled through the marketplace. WhatsApp payments are for your own orders only.

FAQ

Can I accept UPI payments inside WhatsApp as a business in India? Yes. Meta's India Payments API supports UPI app payments through all three modes, and Deep Integration also supports cards, net banking and wallets. Set-up needs a gateway or provider.

Which payment gateways does WhatsApp support in India? For Deep Integration: Razorpay, PayU, Billdesk and Zaakpay. For Enhanced Payment Links: Razorpay, PayU and Cashfree. Check the page for the current list.

Is there a fee for taking payments in WhatsApp? Not confirmed on the pages I opened. Meta's Payments API page lists no fee, and TechCrunch's 2023 report states none. Your gateway charges its own fees, so get them in writing.

Do I need a developer? Usually yes. Deep Integration needs API access at Solution Partner or Tech Provider level, and all modes need systems to trigger orders and post payments. A provider can do it.

Can I send a payment link from the WhatsApp Business App? Not confirmed. Meta's Payments API page covers the Business Platform. Check the app's help centre for what it allows.

Where do I get help if payments fail? Meta says to contact Meta direct support and choose the case type "WaBiz: Business Payments API". Also contact your gateway.

Next step

Start with the mode your gateway already supports, test with small orders, and keep gateway reports for reconciliation. If marketplace catalogues and ads are where your time goes, Blooprint's Amazon account management team covers Amazon.in, Flipkart and quick commerce.