WhatsApp’s Novi integration for payments is now live for some users in the US

WhatsApp has been working on Novi wallet integration for payments for a while now. We first got wind of the feature in an APK teardown of WhatsApp v2.21.22.6 beta, which included new strings suggesting that WhatsApp might soon require identity verification for payments. We spotted even more strings related to the Novi wallet integration in WhatsApp v2.21.23.10 beta, revealing that the messenger would let users link their Novi accounts to the service to transfer money internationally. WhatsApp has now officially kicked off a pilot program in the US, giving some users access to the Novi integration.

In a recent tweet, Novi’s head Stephane Kasriel announced that a limited number of WhatsApp users in the US will be able to send and receive money using Novi starting today. For the unaware, Novi is a digital wallet from WhatsApp’s parent company that uses digital currencies to simplify international money transfers. The service is currently available in the US and Guatemala for sending and receiving money using Pax Dollar (USDP) — a stable cryptocurrency backed one-to-one by the US dollar. However, the WhatsApp integration doesn’t seem to be available in Guatemala at the moment.

There’s a new way to try the @Novi digital wallet. Starting today, a limited number of people in the US will be able to send and receive money using Novi on @WhatsApp, making sending money to family and friends as easy as sending a message. pic.twitter.com/dGz3lejri7

— Stephane Kasriel (@skasriel) December 8, 2021

Kasriel further highlights that WhatsApp users who get access to the Novi integration during the pilot run will be able to send and receive money right from the chat screen without paying any fee. All payments made via Novi will appear directly in people’s chats. Novi’s website further reveals that users will not be subjected to any limits on how frequently they send money using the service and they won’t have to pay any fees to keep a balance or transfer money to their bank account.

If you’re one of the lucky few who have received access during the pilot run, you can start making payments by following these steps:

• Open a chat with a contact that you’d like to send money to
• Tap the attachments icon
• Select the “Payment” option in the pop-up menu
• Follow the on-screen instructions to log into your Novi account or create a new one
• Send/receive money on the following screen

Note that Novi on WhatsApp is available in both English and Spanish in the US. For more information, head over to Novi’s website from the link above.

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