How to send and receive money by WhatsApp safely? Step by step guide

WhatsApp is a instant messaging application with which you can send and receive messages, photos, documents, videos, contacts and others by means of smart mobiles through the Internet. The app has more than 2 billion active users, making it considered the leader in its category.

In 2014, it was acquired by Facebook, expanding its reach. Since then, Mark Zuckerberg's company has been in charge of renewing the application to integrate new features.

The introduction of video calls was one of the first updates WhatsApp received. Now, Facebook offers the possibility of making transactions through the application. You want to know how to send and receive money by WhatsApp safely? Then keep reading.

What is WhatsApp Pay and what is this new application function for?

WhatsApp Pay It is a new system developed by Facebook. Allows the user to use the messaging application to receive and send money to your contacts. Similarly, seek to enable the possibility of making purchases, from point to point, without the need for the intervention of a third party.

The function was first announced in the year 2017. Since then, new information has been unveiled about the scope and benefits of WhatsApp Pay. For now, in its beta version, it is only possible to send and receive money.

In which countries is the new WhatsApp Pay feature available?

After its announcement, the function started his trial period in India, one of the countries with the largest number of active users on WhatsApp. Unlike the usual procedure, the system was not partially released. On the contrary, WhatsApp Pay was completely released in the Asian country.

Although more than a million users have access to WhatsApp Pay, it should be noted that due to regulatory problems, not all users in India can use the function.

The rest of the countries in which the WhatsApp Pay function will be available, and which have been confirmed by Zuckerberg, are: United Kingdom, Brazil, Mexico and Spain. In the course of 2022, these countries will begin their testing stages.

Steps to use WhatsApp Pay to send and receive money by WhatsApp

In countries where the function will be operational, users will only have to follow a series of simple steps to be able to send and receive money between their contacts on WhatsApp. It's only necessary link the bank account or credit card with the WhatsApp Payment platform:

Enter the menu of "Settings".
Click on "Payments" or "Payment".
Validate your mobile number in the app. You must make sure that said number is the same as that associated with the bank account.
Follow the verification process of security.
Select for link your bank account or credit card with the system.
In the contact's chat, click on the clip icon, referring to multimedia files.
The coin icon. Through this option, you can transfer money.
Enter the verification code and proceed to enter shipping amount.

List of the best alternatives to WhatsApp Pay to send money online

The concept behind WhatsApp Payment is promising. However, until it is available in a large majority of countries, it is necessary to resort to other alternatives. Next, we offer a list of the best alternative platforms to send money online.

Neteller

Is a electronic wallet It offers the possibility of sending and receiving money through the Internet quickly and safely. The company was founded in 1999 and since then it has become one of the most widely used platforms.

Among its most notable characteristics, the following stand out:

Receive business payments on the Internet.
Navigation security.
Ability to make payments to multiple users, pages and businesses
Buy products and services.
Their free transactions and snapshots.
It is possible to verify a Paypal account by linking a Neteller account.
You can buy and sell cryptocurrencies.
Registration is done from the Neteller home page, free of charge. You only have to provide your first and last name, email and a password.

Skrill

Is a online payment processor, whose interface and operation resembles other pages such as PayPal or Neteller. The company has been operational since 2001. In fact, in its beginnings, it was much more used than PayPal. In order to transfer money from one place to another, you only need have an electronic mail account and a password.

Its main advantages are:

Is available in more than 200 countries.
It has a two-factor authentication security system.
Its interface is completely intuitive, making transfers very simple.
The commission percentage is 1%. This includes bank transfers, through a credit card or through PTC portals.
Skrill has a mobile app, so you can send and receive money quickly with your mobile device.
You can use an international credit or debit card to make purchases and make withdrawals.

PayPal

It is an online payment platform. It is the best known in the world, thanks to its multiple functions and advantages. With PayPal, you can send and receive money without having to disclose your bank information. You just create a free account, link a payment method to the wallet and start making payments online.

Among its characteristics, we can mention:

Buyer protection for a period of 180 days. The buyer may request a refund during that time.
Shipments are made immediately.
You only need to enter the email linked to the PayPal account to send money.
PayPal has a mobile app, so you can use the platform anywhere in the world.
Provides the possibility of associating a bank account or credit card to verify the account.
PayPal is one of the most used options in the world, so it is common to find users and businesses that make movements through the platform.

UpHold

UpHold is a financial exchange platform. The platform provides the service to users to store, convert and move money from one site to another. All transactions are carried out immediately, with guaranteed security. UpHold is intended for large companies, non-profit organizations, and individuals.

Among its advantages, we can mention:

The ability to save financial capital, in multiple currencies, in the cloud.
You can send and receive money from any other UpHold user immediately.
You can modify the value of a currency according to the exchange rates available in the market.
You can distribute and organize your money through UpHold virtual cards.

PaySafe

PaySafe is a online payment platform to which a bank account or credit card can be associated. It consists of a preloaded with which you can make purchases over the Internet. The user enters the 16-digit PIN and the amount to pay. Immediately, the transaction will take place.

It was acquired by the digital company Skrill in 2013. Subsequently, in 2015, by the Optimal Payments Group, who now offer services and products under the name of “PaySafe”.

Among its characteristics, the following stand out: