Current Context: On 3 September 2026, WhatsApp launched an in-app bill-payment facility in India through the Bharat Connect network, formerly known as Bharat Bill Payment System. The facility allows users to find, manage and pay household and financial bills without leaving WhatsApp.
- Users can pay electricity, water, cooking gas, insurance and credit-card bills.
- The facility also supports loan repayments and FASTag recharges.
- Payments can be completed using UPI, debit cards or credit cards.
- Users can view outstanding bills, upcoming payments and previous transactions.
- Multiple consumer accounts under the same biller can be managed from one place.
- Frequently used billers will appear on the WhatsApp Payments home screen for faster access.
- Bharat Connect is operated by NPCI Bharat BillPay Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of the National Payments Corporation of India.
- Users can access the facility by selecting the ₹ icon on the WhatsApp home screen.
Question:
Q1. WhatsApp’s native bill-payment facility in India is powered by which network?a) Unified Payments Interface
b) Bharat Connect
c) National Common Mobility Card
d) Account Aggregator Network
Answer: b) WhatsApp’s bill-payment facility is powered by Bharat Connect, which provides access to 22,722 billers across 30 payment categories.
