Facebook Messenger Now Supports PayPal P2P Payments To Friends

PayPal has announced that it has expanded its partnership with Facebook to allow peer-to-peer (P2P) PayPal payments on Messenger. Facebook Messenger users have been able to send money to friends for a good while now, but so far they had to link their credit or debit cards to do so. With this new integration, users can simply send or request money using their PayPal accounts straight from the Facebook Messenger app.

Facebook Messenger and PayPal first teamed up last year, enabling Messenger users to link their PayPal accounts to shop on Messenger. The new agreement now adds P2P payments into the mix, further deepening the integration. Facebook Messenger enjoys a wide user base with more than 1.2 billion people, and more than 2.5 million users in the United States have already linked their PayPal accounts with the messaging app. With the new PayPal integration for P2P payments, that number will likely increase.

For now, however, P2P payments through PayPal are only available for Facebook Messenger users in the United States, and the companies have offered no details yet on a global rollout. For U.S. users, PayPal has also added a customer service chat bot in the messaging app to assist users in resetting their passwords, resolve potential payment issues or offer additional account support.

Making P2P payments to friends through PayPal on Messenger is pretty simple and straightforward: just tap the blue plus icon just like with credit or debit card payments, then tap the green Payments button. This will summon the two available options – via a card or via PayPal – so choose the desired method and make the payment easily and securely without having to exit the Messenger app. Those who had already set up the payment feature to use a card can tap the Change button, select PayPal, link their account with Messenger, and start making P2P payments.

When Facebook first added payment options to Messenger, it was largely seen as a move to compete against PayPal, Venmo, and other such services, but the company insisted that it was not the case. The deeper PayPal integration now proves it and should make things easier for Messenger users who frequently rely on PayPal to make or request payments.

“As the leader in P2P payments with $24 billion in P2P volume during Q3 2017 alone (up 47% year-over-year), the ability to send and request money in Messenger – one of the most widely used apps in the world – gives people more choice and more convenient ways to get things done in different contexts,” says PayPal. “Whether it’s splitting a bill for a cab ride or a night out, paying for your share of the rent, or making sure you get paid back for Mom’s birthday present, PayPal makes exchanging money between friends and family simple.”

The new PayPal integration for P2P payments in Messenger has started rolling out on October 20, hitting iOS devices first, but the release for Android should follow shortly as well.

[Featured Image by PayPal]