WhatsApp has launched new features allowing WhatsApp Business users to sell products directly from the platform.
WhatsApp Business a free app built to connect businesses with customers by using tools to sort, automate and quickly respond to messages. It is a chat-based market place. Additionally, now it will include new features which will allow purchases to be made directly from a WhatsApp chat. The Facebook-owned company will also provide hosting services to small businesses through its partners in the country.
Businesses are already charged by WhatsApp to send notification messages to customers, these new services allow the platform to explore a new revenue-making opportunity. Today, the company ensured that both businesses and customers will be made aware that their data is being shared with Facebook in specific cases. Also, Facebook hosting solutions will require additional payments.
End-to-end encrypted messaging on WhatsApp will be provided where Facebook’s hosting services are being used. Thus, even WhatsApp will not be able to see the content of messages between both businesses and customers.
“We’ve spent a lot of time thinking about this move and believe we are leading the industry in transparency,” a WhatsApp spokesperson further said on how data will be shared with the parent company’s social network.
According to the company, every day around 175 million people message a WhatsApp Business account worldwide.