New WhatsApp feature will let you search for businesses

You can use WhatsApp for many different things, and the app continues to add additional functionality. According to Engadget, WhatsApp will soon let you search for businesses right within the app. This will eliminate the need to venture outward to another app.

WhatsApp has become a bit of a shopping platform over the past year. Last year, the platform unveiled a feature that lets you shop on the platform. It’s really convenient, and it helps build relationships with different companies.

Now, you’re able to search for those businesses on WhatsApp

Being able to shop on WhatsApp is really convenient, so the company wants to cut out the middleman. With a new update coming to the UK, Canada, Columbia, Mexico, Brazil, and Indonesia, you will have a dedicated Discover Business option.

When you tap on the option, you will see an assortment of different businesses in your area. Along with the search results, you’ll get a small map UI that shows you where the businesses are located. It’s similar to what you get with Google maps.

The businesses are separated into categories like restaurants, grocery stores, clothing stores, etc. Also, looking at one of the screenshots, we see a section for verified accounts. This means that you can trust the businesses you’re potentially going to shop at.

You may notice that the US is missing from the aforementioned list of markets. WhatsApp did not give us a definite date when this feature will come to the US. In a statement, the company just said “soon”.

The company is also testing in-chat purchasing

WhatsApp really wants to be an all-in-one shopping platform apparently. Along with the ability to search for businesses in the app, the company is testing the ability to make purchases in-app.

Usually, you would have to go to the company’s website in order to complete the purchase. WhatsApp wants to eliminate this. Instead of that, the app will give you the ability to put your card information directly into the app to complete the purchase.

Right now, WhatsApp is testing this feature in India and in Brazil. There’s no word on when the company plans to expand this to more markets. We will keep an eye on this as the story develops.