WhatsApp has finally rolled-out in-app digital payments, starting with users in Brazil.

People will now be able to send money securely or make a purchase from a local business without leaving their chat.

In addition, the Facebook-owned messaging app is making remittances easier to send in-app, using card information stored within FacebookPay.

"We have built payments with security in mind and a special six digit PIN or fingerprint will be required to prevent unauthorised transactions," read a statement.

WhatsApp will initially support debit or credit cards from Banco do Brasil, Nubank, and Sicredi on the Visa and Mastercard networks - with an open model ready for more partners in the future.

Sending money or making a purchase on WhatsApp is free for people, while businesses will pay a 3.99 per cent processing fee to receive customer payments, similar to what they may already pay when accepting a credit card transaction.

"Payments on WhatsApp are beginning to roll out to people across Brazil beginning today and we look forward to bringing it to everyone as we go forward," added the statement.

Last month Facebook launched Shops, a free service aimed at making it easier for businesses to set up a single online store for customers to access on both Facebook and Instagram.

This followed the launch of a new payments feature last November, allowing users to send and receive payments on its social media platforms, including Messenger, Instagram and WhatsApp. It also introduced a catalogue feature for WhatsApp, as part of an expansion of the messaging app’s e-commerce tools.

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