FACEBOOK has filed a patent application in India, which attempts to protect a technology that enables making and receiving payments using a messaging applications. The patent application envisages peer-to-peer payment between users of a messaging application, such as WHATSAPP. Selected figures from the patent application indicates the intended use of the technology.

This Indian patent application is based on a US patent application, which was filed in December, 2014, after FACEBOOK acquired WHATSAPP. Interestingly, in April of this year, WHATSAPP announced that it would be introducing digital payments in India.

One could argue that WHATSAPP is positioned to corner a significant share in the digital payment market in India. For starters, WHATSAPP has a huge consumer base in India and is popular even among those who are not so digitally savvy. Adding to that is the convenience factor in making payments using a chat application. To top it all, the patent application, which might eventually be granted a patent, considering that there are several patents related to payments granted in India. As an example, EBAY was granted a patent (patent number 242805) covering certain technology that facilitates micropayments between parties. A patent grant to FACEBOOK will enable WHATSAPP to monopolize key aspects of the technology that enables peer-to-peer payments using messaging application.

The patent application and WHATSAPP’s digital payment initiative may be the first big bet by FACEBOOK to directly generate revenues from WHATSAPP since its acquisition.

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