To make UPI-based payments on WhatsApp, users will now be asked for their legal identities. These legal names correspond to the names on the users’ bank accounts. They can differ from the profile names and will be shown to the recipient. The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) established the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) rules to combat payment fraud.

WhatsApp UPI Payments Now Require ‘Legal Names’

WhatsApp has verified the news on its website. “This criterion is imposed by NPCI and meant to reduce fraud across the UPI payments system,” according to the statement. Through UPI, WhatsApp uses the phone number connected with your account to identify your bank account. The name linked with your bank account will be disclosed.”

This modification affects both iOS and Android users. Until today, WhatsApp users could add the sender’s name, which could include up to 25 characters, including emojis. To make a payment, however, all users must now provide their legal name as it appears on their UPI-linked bank account.

To notify users of this modification, WhatsApp has begun issuing alerts within the app that include a link to a FAQ page that explains the legal name requirement.

For many users, the FAQ page may be found under Settings>Help Center>About UPI Payments and legal name. For the uninitiated, WhatsApp does not require the use of a digital wallet in order to make or receive payments on the app. The messaging app makes use of the Unified Payments Interface (UPI), the same technology used by Google Pay, Phone Pay, BHIM, and other bank applications. Users of WhatsApp may also make payments using other applications such as BHIM, Google Pay, or Phone Pay.