WhatsApp Payments rolls out to some users, letting them transfer money to friends

The feature has been rumoured for some time, but it now appears to be ready for rollout

Revellers dressed up as dancers of 'Black Swan' check their mobile phones next to revellers dressed up as a Whatsapp logo as they take part in New Year's celebrations in Coin, near Malaga, southern Spain, early January 1, 2015 (REUTERS/Jon Nazca)

WhatsApp is now allowing some users to transfer money through the app, it has been reported.

The messenger app has long been rumoured to be working on a peer-to-peer payments system, and it now appears to be ready for rollout.

Screenshots of the system, which appears to be called WhatsApp Payments, have been posted online by some users.

It isn’t widely available at the moment, and WABetaInfo reports that it’s currently only available to a handful of WhatsApp users in India.

“Send and receive money securely with UPI,” reads a message in one of the screenshots.

UPI, which stands for unified payments interface, is a payments system used by a multitude of Indian banks.

Details about the WhatsApp Payments are scarce at the moment, but it appears that, after accepting the app’s terms and conditions, you have to verify your phone number and select your bank before you can start using the feature.

It should make it slightly easier to transfer money to your friends and family when you owe them. It should also make it easier to chase people for any money they owe you.

Facebook Messenger launched its own peer-to-peer payments system, which lets you send or request and receive money in chats, in the UK in November.

It’s a convenient feature that saves you from the hassle of having to exchange bank details with people, save them and then carry out the transfer in a different app.

To send money through Facebook Messenger, open a chat with your friend, then tap the blue + symbol and the green Payments icon.

You’ll then be prompted to set up your payment account – this will only happen the first time you use Messenger payments – and enter the amount you want to transfer. Once you’ve done this, tap Pay and add your debit card.

In order to receive money, you need to open a chat with your friend, tap the Add Card option, add your debit card and set up your payment account.