UPI payments inside WhatsApp chat: four ways to collect, compared

Updated 2026-10-22 · 5 min read · By the Convo360 team

Why payment is the step where chat sales are lost

A customer in Surat has picked two sarees over WhatsApp and says "ok, how to pay?". What happens next decides the sale. If she has to wait for someone to send a QR, then send a screenshot, then wait again for someone to check the bank app, many orders stall or get forgotten. Every extra step is a chance for her to get distracted.

India already pays by UPI by habit. NPCI data reported in October 2026 shows UPI handled 24.07 billion transactions in September 2026. The job is not to convince customers to use UPI. It is to make paying inside the chat as short and as trustworthy as possible.

The four options side by side

Option 1 and 2: UPI ID versus a payment link

A UPI ID or QR costs nothing extra and every customer understands it. The trouble starts at volume. Payments arrive without an order number, so someone has to match ₹2,340 from "R K Shah" to the right chat. Edited or fake payment screenshots are a known fraud pattern, so a screenshot alone should never release goods.

A payment link from a gateway such as Razorpay solves both problems. Each link carries the order amount and reference. The customer taps it, picks UPI and is sent to their usual UPI app. When the payment succeeds, the gateway sends a webhook, your system marks the order paid and the customer gets an automatic confirmation. The cost is the gateway's fee, which Razorpay publishes on its pricing page. Our Razorpay charges explainer has the figures we checked.

Option 3 and 4: Meta's Payments API and AutoPay

Meta's Payments API for India lets a business send an order_details invoice message inside WhatsApp. Meta's documentation lists two modes:

• UPI Intent mode works with any gateway that can generate UPI intent, but has no native payment status notifications or refunds through WhatsApp.
• Payment gateway deep integration supports Razorpay, PayU, BillDesk and Zaakpay only, and adds native status updates, webhooks and refunds from the WhatsApp APIs.

It needs a solution provider that has built these APIs, plus order and payment systems on your side, so it suits larger operations. UPI AutoPay is different again: the customer approves a recurring mandate once, through your gateway, and monthly fees are collected without a new link each time. NPCI's MDR FAQ of 15 September 2026 says AutoPay mandates carry no prescribed MDR, which matters given the planned 0.4% UPI MDR on larger merchant payments.

Setting up payment links in chat on Convo360

Convo360's built-in payment option today is the Razorpay payment link block, connected to your own Razorpay account. Money goes from Razorpay to your bank, and Convo360 adds no markup.

1. Connect Razorpay. Open Integrations in your workspace and add your Razorpay keys. The integrations docs show where.
2. Confirm before you charge. In the Flow Builder, repeat the items, size and total back to the customer with a Buttons step: Confirm, Change.
3. Send the link. On Confirm, the Razorpay payment link block creates a link for the order total stored in a variable.
4. Confirm automatically. A payment trigger starts a thank-you flow when Razorpay reports success, with details such as the amount paid available as variables.
5. Hand over exceptions. Failed or disputed payments go to the live chat inbox, where the bot pauses while your team replies.

Test it in Preview, then make one small real payment yourself. The click-by-click guide is how to send Razorpay payment links on WhatsApp.

Which option fits your business

A home baker in Indore taking ten orders a week can live with a UPI QR and a careful owner. Once orders cross a few dozen a day, or more than one person handles chats, the matching work and screenshot risk make a payment link the better default. A tuition centre or gym billing the same fee every month should look at AutoPay so nobody chases payments. Meta's Payments API is worth exploring when you already run a large catalogue and your provider supports it. Many businesses run two methods together, for example payment links for new orders and AutoPay for members.

Safety rules for payments in chat

• Never ask for a UPI PIN, OTP or full card number in chat. A real UPI payment never needs the merchant to know them, and a Convo360 bot is never set up to ask.
• Confirm on the gateway event, not a screenshot. Train staff to check the dashboard if a customer insists they paid.
• Show the total in words and numbers before sending a link, so there are no surprises at checkout.
• Keep links tied to one order. Do not reuse an old link for a new amount.
• Tell customers the truth about charges. NPCI says UPI stays free for consumers.

Step by step

1. Connect your Razorpay accountAdd your own Razorpay keys under Integrations in your Convo360 workspace.
2. Confirm the order with buttonsRepeat items and total back to the customer and ask them to tap Confirm or Change.
3. Send the payment link blockOn Confirm, create a Razorpay payment link for the order total stored in a variable.
4. Add a payment triggerStart a confirmation flow automatically when Razorpay reports a successful payment.
5. Test with a small real paymentRun the flow in Preview, then pay a small amount yourself and check the settlement in Razorpay.

Example conversation

Frequently asked questions

Official sources

• Meta for Developers: Payments API (India) for WhatsApp (checked 21 Oct 2026)
• NPCI: FAQs on MDR on select UPI (P2M) transactions, dated 15 Sep 2026 (checked 21 Oct 2026)
• Outlook Money: UPI processes 24.07 billion transactions in September 2026, 2 Oct 2026 (checked 21 Oct 2026)
• Razorpay: Pricing (checked 21 Oct 2026)

Related reading

Available across India — see WhatsApp & AI calling automation by state and city.