Messaging app Hike introduces wallet, UPI payment

Homegrown messaging app Hike added payments feature that will allow its over 100 million users to transfer money and recharge/pay mobile bills through the messaging platform. The Hike wallet - powered by Yes Bank - will allow free and instant bank-to-bank transfer via unified payments interface (UPI), free and instant money transfer via wallet and recharge right from the app, Hike Messenger founder and CEO Kavin Bharti Mittal told reporters here.

"Over the last six months, we have been working to bring a brand new experience to our users with one question in mind How do we take all the things that users love about Hike and make it even better? Hike 5.0 is our most ambitious step in that direction till date," he added. Hike is the first in India to launch payments facility on a messaging platform. It has also improved the user interface as well as added new features to the camera on the app.

Hike's larger rival, WhatsApp is also working on making a foray into digital payment services, starting with India. The Facebook-owned messaging app has about 200 million users in India. Post demonetisation, there has been a massive growth in digital transaction volumes in India, including credit/debit cards, mobile banking/m-wallets and UPI.