This will eliminate the need for consumers to look up phone numbers on websites or in their contact list, according to a blog post by WhatsApp.
“We want to make it easier for people to get more done on WhatsApp. Part of that is building better ways to engage with businesses. And while millions of businesses in Brazil use it for chat, we haven’t made it easy to discover businesses or buy from them, so people end up having to use workarounds,” Mark Zuckerberg, Meta CEO, said in a statement.
Users in Indonesia, Mexico, Colombia, and the UK are currently able to access the new "Business Search" feature in addition to Brazil.
WhatsApp has not yet specified a timeframe for when its Indian users will be able to use the "Business Search" tool, but the social media network does note that it is planning to expand the feature's availability to new nations "in the coming months."
Here’s how to search for businesses on WhatsApp and how to purchase from them:
Step 1: Open WhatsApp
Step 2: After selecting the chat icon, select "Discover" and then "Businesses."
Step 3: Next, decide how you like to share your location.
Step 4: Tap on CONTINUE to use your location to look up local businesses.
Step 5: Alternatively, you can choose a location manually or using a map.
Step 6: Type in the query for the business you’re looking for.
Step 7: By tapping a filter chip at the top of the list, you can further narrow your search. You may use WhatsApp to filter businesses by category, location, open status, or catalogue.
Step 8: Tap a business to view its business profile.
Step 9: Clicking the chat button will allow you to start a conversation with the business profile.
WhatsApp also announced in a blog post that it is extending in Brazil the capability to use a credit or debit card to make a payment from a chat.
The instant chat app's beta users can now link their accounts to additional phones and Android tablets.