While WhatsApp has largely embraced business accounts – and struggled to monetize advertisements in the process – there’s been little incentive for ordinary users to find those business accounts by way of exploration.
Now, a new feature that’s being trialled in São Paulo, Brazil will enable users to find shops and services with business accounts by sharing their location.
As seen in screenshots of the trial thus far, users can navigate a location-fenced directory of accounts nearby, and can browse categories as well – ranging from restaurants to grocery stores.
We’re kicking this off in São Paulo which is home to millions of small businesses. For those who aren't in São Paulo to try it out, here's what it looks like: pic.twitter.com/cMu9DwlUYw
— Will Cathcart (@wcathcart) September 15, 2021
The decision to trial the service in Brazil is noteworthy, as the country is one of two locales – the other being India – to accept in-app payments.
As the feature rolls out, WhatsApp head Will Cathcart has clarified that WhatsApp will not store a user’s shared location. The Facebook-owned subsidiary has confirmed that while the pilot will be limited to São Paulo for now, the feature may expand to India or Indonesia in the near future.
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