According to a recent announcement from Meta, users will now be able to search for selected businesses on WhatsApp in a more structured way by category. Additionally, the startup is enabling customers to search for a business by inputting its name and conduct secure transactions.
Recent additions to WhatsApp’s user interface include a 32-person video chat function and WhatsApp communities, which aggregate together multiple group chats into a single community. The end-to-end encryption of consumers’ purchasing experiences in India as well as access to JioMart’s whole product catalogue were also disclosed in August.
Meta’s most recent announcement builds on the concept of shopping by allowing users to search for businesses on the platform using categories like banking or travel. They can use a name search to find a specific company. The ability safeguards users’ privacy when looking for businesses, the company claims, as the search results cannot be traced back to individual accounts.
Meta said that some of the recently added companies to the site offer groceries, train tickets, or assist customers in opening bank accounts. It read:
“We recently offered this experience in India because we want customers to be able to use their credit or debit card to make a safe payment right from a conversation. We’re thrilled to be testing this out right now in Brazil with a variety of payment partners. For individuals and companies wishing to purchase and sell on WhatsApp without having to visit a website, open another app, or make a cash payment in person, this frictionless checkout experience will be a game-changer.
Users can access the search function and look for businesses using the WhatsApp Business Platform in the UK, Indonesia, Mexico, Colombia, and Brazil.
