Payments (India Only)
Native Payment features in WhatsApp Business API enhances the customer journey and facilitates conversion.
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:
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, Admins and Finance Editor users gain direct access to the Payments Gateway page and can manage payment settings in Meta Business Manager.
Compliance requirements may apply. For India-based businesses, WhatsApp Business Compliance guidance should be reviewed.
If access issues occur, support is available through the provider’s Support Team.
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:
Both rely on the order_details 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:
Payments via Payments Gateway
Payments via Payment Links
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
Receive WhatsApp Payments via Payments GatewayWhat 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
The business sends an order_details message containing payment information.
Each order includes a unique reference_id that identifies and tracks the transaction.
When payment is completed, the Payment Gateway notifies the business.
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 Business 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 Business Manager. 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.
Purchase Flow in App
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.
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.
When the user taps the Continue button, they are able to choose to pay natively on WhatsApp or any other UPI app.
Once the payment has been confirmed by your payment gateway (PG) or payment service provider, the business can start processing the order.
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.
2. Payments via Payment Links
Receive WhatsApp Payments via Payment LinksWhat 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
The business generates a Payment Link from the Payment Gateway using the same reference_id.
The link is included in an order_details message.
The customer is redirected to an in-app browser to complete the payment.
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:
Customer sends an order with selected products to the business or business identifies the products that the customer has shown interest to purchase.
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.
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.
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.
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.
3. Order Details Messages
Order Details Template MessageWhat They Are
Order Details Messages are a new type of interactive message used to:
Present order information
Provide totals
Trigger payment flows
Anchor status updates
They always contain four components:
Header
Body
Footer
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.
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
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