Introduction
PayU supports multiple ways to accept payments on WhatsApp in partnership with Meta. Merchants integrate with PayU; PayU handles the Meta side—you do not need a separate commercial or technical integration with Meta for these flows.
-
P2M (PG Deep Integration or Native WhatsApp Payments): P2M is Meta’s full in-chat checkout: When your business sends a catalogue or order in WhatsApp, the customer taps Review & Pay, and a native payment sheet opens the following payment modes without leaving the app: UPI, Cards, Net Banking, Wallets and EMI.
It is the highest-capability flavour and best for e-commerce, D2C, travel, and OTT but needs integration (often with a BSP), PG–WhatsApp OAuth, and handling both WhatsApp payment webhooks and PayU PG webhooks. To integrate P2M for WhatsApp payments, refer to WhatsApp Payments Integration. -
UPI Intent URL: UPI Intent URL sends a structured order_details message in WhatsApp; when the customer taps Pay Now, where the opens with the amount pre-filled, they authorise with UPI PIN, and the business gets confirmation in chat. It as a lightweight and no Meta template approval is required, and suited to utility bills, quick collections, and subscription renewals.
You can use your existing PayU PG webhook; enablement typically involves VPA / MCC / payment code from PayU rather than full P2M payment_configuration. To integrate UPI Intent URL for WhatsApp payments, refer to WhatsApp Payments Integration.
-
Enhanced Payment Links (EPL) is the simplest option: you send an approved WhatsApp template message with a Pay Now call-to-action, the customer taps it, and completes payment on PayU’s Hosted Checkout page, whereas on WhatsApp app itself for UPI payments. If you already use PayU payment links, link generation and webhooks work the same as today. To integrate EPL for WhatsApp payments, refer to Enhanced Payment Links on WhatsApp.
PayU Offerings
Meta defines three WhatsApp commerce payment flavours; EPL sits at the lowest complexity end (typically 1–2 weeks to go live), with no PG-to-WhatsApp OAuth linking in Business Manager.
| EPL | UPI Intent | PG Deep Integration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Complexity | Low | Medium | High |
| Typical engineering effort | 1–2 weeks | 4–5 weeks | 8–12 weeks |
| Payment methods | All (UPI, cards, net banking, wallets, EMI) | UPI-primary (others extendable) | UPI, cards, net banking, wallets |
| Payment inside WhatsApp? | No — opens PG checkout in browser | Partial — UPI apps open from WhatsApp | Yes — native in-chat checkout |
| Best for | Collections, insurance, lending, EMI, fast go-live | Bill pay, utilities, BBPS, government | E-commerce, travel, quick commerce, food |
Comparison of WhatsApp payment options
| Dimension | PG Deep Integration | UPI Intent | EPL |
|---|---|---|---|
| What you send | order_details interactive message | order_details interactive message | Template + CTA URL |
| Meta template required | No | No | Yes |
| PG–WhatsApp OAuth | Yes | No | No |
payment_configuration in Meta | Yes | No | No |
| EPL allowlist or gating list | No | No | Yes |
| Webhook changes | Yes — add WhatsApp payment status webhooks; reconcile with PG webhooks | None (same PG webhook) | None (same PG webhook) |
| In-chat order management | Full (order_status, payment lookup APIs) | No | No |
| Customer leaves WhatsApp? | No | Partial (UPI app) | Yes (browser checkout) |
PayU is supported across all three solutions, so many merchants can start with EPL and later add UPI Intent or PG Deep Integration without changing payment gateway.