WhatsApp users will soon have a feature enabling easy shopping through the app. They will be able to find related businesses, browse their catalogue, find right product, message the seller and buy the products right inside the app. 

In its blog post, WhatsApp said that people want a convenient way to quickly get assistance from the millions of small businesses and tens of thousands of brands already on WhatsApp. “We’re launching the ability to find a business right on WhatsApp so people can now browse businesses by categories – such as travel or banking – or search by the business name. This will save people from having to find phone numbers off websites or type a number into their contacts,” said WhatsApp.

The instant messaging app said that we’ve built business search in a way that preserves people’s privacy. What you search for is processed in a way that cannot be linked back to your account. 

“As more businesses use WhatsApp, our first principle remains keeping people in control of their conversations. Getting this right is important for WhatsApp just as much as for the people and businesses that rely on us. Some of the recent businesses that have joined WhatsApp are helping people open a bank account, purchase their metro ticket and order groceries,” said the Meta-owned company.

WhatsApp said that it wants people to be able to make a secure payment right from a chat with their credit or debit card. “We recently launched this experience in India and we’re excited to now be testing this in Brazil with multiple payment partners. This seamless checkout experience will be a game-changer for people and businesses looking to buy and sell on WhatsApp without having to go to a website, open another app or pay in person,” it said.

WhatsApp said that the feature is being extended to countries like Brazil, Colombia, Indonesia, Mexico, and the UK and users in these countries can find companies using our WhatsApp Business Platform.