WhatsApp, a platform owned by social media giant Facebook, is working with a variety of digital payment firms in Indonesia to try and utilize their services, reports Reuters. People familiar with the matter claim that the country is looking to grow its e-commerce space even faster.
According to the publication, Indonesia would be the second place in the world where WhatsApp brings in these options. The other country, India, is a space it’s still waiting on. However, one should note that this second space will see WhatsApp bringing in peer-to-peer payment services. Indonesian people will see payments supported by digital wallets and its Facebook’s hope that this will continue into other countries building their own digitized wallets as well.
More specifically, the platform is in talks with Go-Jek, DANA, Ant Financial from China, and OVO, a FinTech startup.
“As Mark has said earlier this year… we are looking to bring digital payments to more countries,” says a spokesperson from Facebook. “WhatsApp is in conversations with financial partners in Indonesia about payments, however the discussions are in early stages and we do not have anything further to share at this stage.”
As you may know, Facebook is already developing its own digital cryptocurrency called Libra. This asset, set to launch sometime next year if it can hit all regulatory guidelines, will likely integrate into WhatsApp, Instagram, and other platforms that the social media company owns. We’ll have to see if the company can meet guidelines, however, as it has already brought in tons of criticism not only from the public but from regulators as well.
