# Payments (India Only) ## What WhatsApp Payments Enables WhatsApp Payments allows businesses to **receive payments directly inside WhatsApp**. This transforms WhatsApp from a messaging channel into a **full commerce experience**, where customers can: * [Browse business catalogs](https://docs.360dialog.com/docs/messaging/catalogs) * [Add products to a cart](https://docs.360dialog.com/docs/catalogs#shopping-cart-experience) * Submit orders * Complete payments * Receive order status updates With the **Payments Gateway integration**, businesses can send bills and payment requests directly to customers within WhatsApp. ### Who Can Access Payment Settings For accounts in [**medium or high messaging tiers**](https://docs.360dialog.com/docs/messaging/payments/broken-reference), **Admins** and **Finance Editor** users gain direct access to the [Payments Gateway](https://www.facebook.com/business/help/915454841921082?id=180505742745347) page and can manage [payment settings](https://www.facebook.com/business/help/915454841921082?id=180505742745347) in Meta Business Suite. Compliance requirements may apply. For India-based businesses, [WhatsApp Business Compliance](https://www.facebook.com/help/1104628230079278) guidance should be reviewed. If access issues occur, support is available through the provider’s [Support Team](https://docs.360dialog.com/docs/support/get-support). ### What Powers the Payment Experience WhatsApp Payments rely on a new message type called the **order\_details message**. This interactive message format provides: * **Header** * **Body** * **Footer** * **Action section** (includes payment information) Each order contains a **unique reference\_id**, created by the business, which is used to track the order throughout the process. WhatsApp Payments support two models: 1. [**Payments via Payments Gateway**](https://docs.360dialog.com/docs/messaging/payments/payments-india-only/receive-whatsapp-payments-via-payments-gateway) 2. [**Payments via Payment Links**](https://docs.360dialog.com/docs/messaging/payments/payments-india-only/receive-whatsapp-payments-via-payment-links) Both rely on the [order\_details](https://docs.360dialog.com/docs/messaging/payments/payments-india-only/order-details-template-message) message as the foundation of the transaction flow. ## Payments Models in WhatsApp WhatsApp Payments can work in three different ways, depending on how the business wants customers to complete the transaction: 1. **Payments via Payments Gateway** 2. **Payments via Payment Links** 3. **Order Details Messages** (the foundation for both models) Each model uses the same order\_details message format, but the payment experience and processing flow differ. ### 1. Payments via Payments Gateway {% content-ref url="payments-india-only/receive-whatsapp-payments-via-payments-gateway" %} [receive-whatsapp-payments-via-payments-gateway](https://docs.360dialog.com/docs/messaging/payments/payments-india-only/receive-whatsapp-payments-via-payments-gateway) {% endcontent-ref %} #### What It Is Payments via a Payments Gateway enable customers to complete the entire checkout **natively inside WhatsApp** (e.g., UPI in India), without leaving the app. #### How It Works 1. The business sends an **order\_details** message containing payment information. 2. Each order includes a **unique reference\_id** that identifies and tracks the transaction. 3. When payment is completed, the Payment Gateway notifies the business. 4. The business updates the customer using **order\_status messages**. #### Key Principles * Payment updates may arrive via Webhooks, but businesses shouldn’t rely solely on them. * Payment Lookup APIs can be used to retrieve status at any time. * Businesses must handle **payment reconciliation** directly with the Payment Gateway. #### Linking a Payment Account To use this model, the business must connect a **Payment Gateway account** to its WABA through a payment configuration. The link is managed through WhatsApp Manager. Once linked, the business can begin sending order\_details messages tied to that gateway. To do this, businesses can use the 'Direct pay methods' page and under 'India' in [WhatsApp Manager](https://business.facebook.com/wa/manage/home). Once the user enters the details, Meta redirects them to the payment gateway website to enter their credentials and link their account with WhatsApp as shown below. {% embed url="" %}
{% hint style="info" %} Each payment configuration is associated with a *unique name*. As part of the `order_details` message, you can specify the payment configuration to use for a specific checkout. WhatsApp will then generate a checkout flow using the associated payment gateway account. {% endhint %} #### Purchase Flow in App {% stepper %} {% step %} Customers send an order with selected products to the business either through simple text messages or using other interactive messages such as [Single Product Message, Multi Product Message, and Product Detail](https://docs.360dialog.com/docs/messaging/catalogs). {% endstep %} {% step %} Once the business receives the order, they send an `order_details` message to the user. When the user taps on **Review and Pay**, they will see details about the order and total amount to be paid. {% endstep %} {% step %} When the user taps the **Continue** button, they are able to choose to pay natively on WhatsApp or any other UPI app.

Checkout with WhatsApp Pay

Checkout on other UPI Apps

{% endstep %} {% step %} Once the payment has been confirmed by your payment gateway (PG) or payment service provider, the business can start processing the order. {% endstep %} {% step %} Businesses can then send an `order_status` message to the consumer informing them about the status of the order. Each message will result in a message bubble (as shown above) that refers to the original order details message and also updates the status displayed on the order details page. {% endstep %} {% endstepper %} ### 2. Payments via Payment Links {% content-ref url="payments-india-only/receive-whatsapp-payments-via-payment-links" %} [receive-whatsapp-payments-via-payment-links](https://docs.360dialog.com/docs/messaging/payments/payments-india-only/receive-whatsapp-payments-via-payment-links) {% endcontent-ref %} #### What It Is Payment Links allow businesses to accept payment methods **outside native WhatsApp payments**, such as: * Credit cards * Debit cards * Wallets * Other payment apps #### How It Works 1. The business generates a **Payment Link** from the Payment Gateway using the same **reference\_id**. 2. The link is included in an **order\_details** message. 3. The customer is redirected to an **in-app browser** to complete the payment. 4. Once the gateway confirms the payment, the business updates the customer via an **order\_status** message. #### Key Principles * The **reference\_id** drives: * Order tracking * Payment tracking * Status updates * Reconciliation is **not** handled by WhatsApp or 360Dialog. * The business must validate payment with the Payment Gateway. #### Purchase Flow in App In the WhatsApp customer app, the purchase flow has the following steps: {% stepper %} {% step %} Customer sends an order with selected products to the business or business identifies the products that the customer has shown interest to purchase. {% endstep %} {% step %} After receiving the order or identifying the product, if a business accepts payment methods other than UPI, such as credit cards and payment wallets, etc. then business will send a message to the user to get their preferred payment method for the order.
{% endstep %} {% step %} When consumers want to pay using other payment method option, the business should generate the payment link by calling Payment Gateway by providing the unique "reference-id" and other information like amount, validity etc, then business can use the generated payment link to construct the order details message and send to the consumer.
{% endstep %} {% step %} When the consumer taps the Pay now/continue button, consumer will be redirected to the payment link within specially designed In-App browser to present with the list of supported payment options such as credit card, debit card, wallet or UPI apps. Consumers can choose any one of the payment option to pay for the order. {% hint style="info" %} The following is a sample payment link redirect within In-App Browser accepting various payment methods like credit, debit, wallet and UPI apps. {% endhint %}
{% endstep %} {% step %} Once the payment is complete, the business will receive a notification from Payment Gateway and the business needs to send order status updates to the consumer client notifying consumers about the progress on their order, this will update the order details message CTAs, Order details screen and Order status. The order status should contain the matching "reference-id" of order details.
{% endstep %} {% endstepper %} ### 3. Order Details Messages {% content-ref url="payments-india-only/order-details-template-message" %} [order-details-template-message](https://docs.360dialog.com/docs/messaging/payments/payments-india-only/order-details-template-message) {% endcontent-ref %} #### What They Are Order Details Messages are a new type of [interactive message](https://docs.360dialog.com/docs/messaging/message-types/interactive) used to: * Present order information * Provide totals * Trigger payment flows * Anchor status updates They always contain four components: 1. **Header** 2. **Body** 3. **Footer** 4. **Action** (payment information) #### Why They Matter Order\_details messages are the **core building block** for all WhatsApp payment flows. Without them: * Payments cannot be initiated * Reference tracking cannot occur * Status updates cannot be tied to an order #### Template Support Order details can also be created as **approved message templates**, allowing businesses to: * Send structured payment prompts * Provide richer UI than standard templates * Trigger actions via “Open Order Details” buttons Templates must be created and approved before use. {% hint style="info" %} Before sending an order details template message, businesses need to create a template with an “open order details” call-to-action button. See [Utility Templates](https://docs.360dialog.com/docs/resources/templates#utility-templates) and refer to the Template documentation to create Templates through the API. {% endhint %} ### Key Principles to Understand * WhatsApp Payments are **powered by message-based commerce** * The **order\_details message** is the core of every transaction * The **reference\_id** links order, payment, and updates * WhatsApp does **not** reconcile payments * Businesses must rely on their own Payment Provider * Payment experiences vary depending on **WABA type** and **region**