WhatsApp users in Brazil can now make payments to merchants from within the app.

Guilherme Horn, PhD, Head of WhatsApp, Latin America, announced that Brazil’s Central Bank has authorized the launch of the payment service for small and medium-sized enterprises through WhatsApp.

“This is a joyous occasion for us, and we are thrilled to share this news with everyone,” he said in a LinkedIn post.

“We built an open platform with the participation of several Brazilian acquirers to ensure that the greatest possible number of companies and individuals have access to the service. This is important because we believe that paying people to businesses via WhatsApp will have a big impact for everyone, bringing ease and simplicity to users while helping small and medium-sized businesses increase their sales.”

Horn confirmed that the company had completed all the necessary regulatory steps and was currently conducting tests with partners such as Cielo, Fiserv, Getnet Brasil, Mercado Pago, and Rede.

“WhatsApp users will soon be able to pay for products and services directly in a conversation with Mastercard and Visa debit and credit cards. We are excited about the potential impact that this service will have on everyone, and we hope to share more updates with you soon.”

According to Reuters, the approval for the service by the central bank is timely, given that Meta (NASDAQ: META), which owns WhatsApp, is assailed by a slowdown in its advertising business.

A key focus area for the company is to expand its business messaging service in Brazil, though individual WhatsApp users in the country could send money to friends, family and loved ones through the app in 2020.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg responded to the Brazilian regulatory permission on his broadcast channel on Instagram saying that “people will be able to pay small businesses right on WhatsApp.”

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