WhatsApp partners with 1Bridge to bring digital payments across 500 villages in Karnataka and Maharashtra | Digit

Digital payments have become the norm in most metros in India. With that in mind, WhatsApp has decided to push digital payments across 500 villages in Karnataka and Maharashtra. These will all be UPI payments. The Digital Payments Utsav programme was unveiled at WhatsApp’s Fuel for India 2021 annual event. The goal of the company is to help 500 million users with digital payments, making things a little easier for people who don’t live in major cities. WhatsApp set up a pilot programme which began on October 15. In that, villagers were taught to use digital payments, set up a UPI, and basic education around digital payments. 

WhatsApp to bring digital payments to 500 villages

This seems like a good idea as the rest of the country should be able to use digital payments. WhatsApp has partnered with 1Bridge and got to work in Kyathanahalli village in Karnataka’s Mandya district. In fact, a local village elder stated, “Withdrawing money from banks in villages used to be tedious and time-consuming and ATMs also don’t usually have cash. Things have become much easier because of payments on WhatsApp.”. 

In fact, as we reported earlier, WhatsApp announced that it will be blocking apps that allow users to monitor ‘Last Seen’ and ‘Online’ statuses. These apps were used by people to harass others and even monitor time logs. As more and more sensitive material is passed through its servers, WhatsApp has to take extra precautions to keep things safe for its users. 

Also Read: WhatsApp blocks third-party apps that intrude on your privacy