Meta’s (formerly Facebook) remittance and payment program Novi has launched a Whatsapp pilot test for US customers, which means that a small number of Whatsapp users will be able to send and receive payments, as well as directly purchase digital dollars from the messaging service interface. This is an extension of the pilot program focused on remittances that began six weeks ago.

Novi expands pilot program with Whatsapp integration

Meta’s wallet service Novi has launched an expansion of the pilot program that started six weeks ago. This new phase includes integration with Whatsapp, one of the most commonly used messaging services in the world. Now, selected users in the United States will have the opportunity to purchase, send and receive digital dollars along with other users who are also participating in the test.

The announcement was announced by Stephane Kasriel, Novi’s new head, who detailed this new phase of the pilot program on Twitter. Regarding the choice of Whatsapp, Kasriel explain:

We often hear that people use WhatsApp to coordinate sending money to their loved ones, and Novi enables people to do this safely, instantly, and for free. Payment will appear directly in people’s chats.

This seems to be the natural evolution of future payments envisioned by Novi, with the goal of including a wallet in every smartphone equipped with Whatsapp.Before this announcement, Novi has already started another pilot Focus Allow users to send money from the United States to Guatemala.

At that time, because the company faced regulatory issues when launching its own currency, Facebook announced that its system would use USDP (paxos dollar) as the system’s currency.According to the interface show On the official Novi Whatsapp page, this new phase of testing will also use USDP for payment.

Kasriel also hinted that once the company evaluates the behavior of the software and user reactions, it may expand the pilot function to other countries/regions.

The most popular parting gift

David Marcus is the head of Novi and has been managing the project since 2018. He called this new development a “Farewell Gift.”Executive officer statement On Twitter:

Another small step in the right direction. Today, we started to launch the @novi wallet in @WhatsApp in the United States. On a personal level, this is the best farewell gift for the best team in history!

Marcus announced his withdrawal from the project last month and pointed out that he will work on a new project. This announcement may be a breath of fresh air for the project, which has been criticized by regulators since it was first announced.

What do you think of Novi and its Whatsapp launch? Tell us in the comments section below.

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