WhatsApp Commerce in India and Brazil: 2024–25 Data & Trends
A regional deep dive on how WhatsApp is reshaping D2C sales, payments, and customer experience in India and Brazil.
Smartphones drive chat-based commerce: in India and Brazil, WhatsApp is a primary channel for D2C brands and customers alike. Indians and Brazilians are enthusiastically using WhatsApp to browse, chat, and even buy. For example, a recent Brazilian survey found 79% of respondents have contacted a business on WhatsApp, and 62% have made a purchase through the app . In India’s rapidly growing market, messaging is even more dominant: Meta research shows 86% of adult Indians message a business at least weekly. These figures highlight how mobile-first customers in both countries prefer chat to email or phone (about 70% of Indians say they prefer messaging over other contact methods ).
Consumer Adoption and Usage
WhatsApp’s reach is enormous. India has roughly 532 million monthly active users (as of Jan 2025), the world’s largest, while Brazil has about 148 million users (nearly 98% of its smartphone owners) . Within these populations, a vast majority use WhatsApp to interact with businesses. In Brazil, OpinionBox found 66% of consumers have hired services via WhatsApp and 62% have bought products on WhatsApp . In India, chat-driven shopping is similarly widespread: industry research reports 62% of Indian consumers have made a purchase through a messaging app (versus 45% via social ads). Over 86% of Indian adults say they message a company at least once a week , and roughly 75% are more likely to buy if they can contact the business by chat .
79% of Brazilians have contacted businesses on WhatsApp (66% hired a service; 62% made a purchase) .
77% of consumers in India’s Tier-2/3 cities used WhatsApp during their purchase journey .
86% of Indian adults message a business at least weekly .
74% of consumers globally now expect to purchase directly via messaging apps .
These adoption rates make WhatsApp a de facto “digital storefront” in these markets. Customers open the app frequently (WhatsApp sees ~3–4 opens per user per day ) and have high engagement: WhatsApp messages enjoy a 98% open rate (versus ~20% for email). In practice, over 81% of consumers say they’re willing to browse and buy directly in chat . For D2C leaders, this means chat commerce is already mainstream: most shoppers are on WhatsApp and ready to transact there.
A chat-first shopping market: WhatsApp is often the primary business app on mobiles. Indian and Brazilian shoppers prize the convenience and security of chat commerce. For example, 68% of users cite WhatsApp’s end-to-end encryption as a key reason they trust it for business messaging. Globally about 83% of consumers say they’re open to browsing and buying products via messaging apps , reflecting broad comfort with in-chat shopping. (In India, roughly 70% of consumers prefer messaging a company rather than calling or emailing .)
The speed and personalization of chat can make or break a sale. Studies show 66% of users complete purchases after chatting with a brand on WhatsApp , and 69% say they are more likely to buy if a brand communicates via WhatsApp . However, consumers will abandon slow chats: 73% of shoppers have stopped ordering due to delayed responses . In short, customers have high trust in WhatsApp but expect fast, human-like service.
WhatsApp Payments: India vs Brazil
With chat commerce booming, direct mobile payments are critical. In India, WhatsApp Pay (via UPI) got its final regulatory green light in early 2025, the National Payments Corporation of India lifted user limits, opening payments to WhatsApp’s entire 532M-user base. Adoption is still emerging; as of late 2024 fewer than 10 million Indians actively use WhatsApp Pay . By contrast, Brazil’s payment ecosystem already blends perfectly with chat. Over 70% of Brazilians use Pix, which now handles roughly 45% of all transactions .
WhatsApp launched native in-chat payments in Brazil in 2023 , letting users pay merchants directly via card or Pix without leaving the conversation. Previously, Brazilians paid stores by clicking merchant-generated WhatsApp links (a multi-step process) , but the new integrated system simplifies checkout. Real-world uptake is already clear: telecom operator Claro reports roughly 500,000 Pix bill payments per month via WhatsApp, with about 80% of those users satisfied . In short, Brazilians can now browse a vendor’s WhatsApp catalog and complete payment in-chat. In India, a similar in-chat experience is on the horizon, once fully rolled out, WhatsApp Pay could soon rival top UPI apps in reach .
D2C Brand Strategies and Trends
The rise of WhatsApp commerce has led to concrete shifts in D2C strategy. Leading brands now treat WhatsApp as both storefront and sales channel. In India, major retailers launched full WhatsApp shopping: Reliance’s JioMart lets users browse its catalog and add products to cart, then pay without leaving the chat. Many D2C startups similarly use WhatsApp Business Catalog and Cart features, while others run targeted broadcast campaigns. These in-chat promotions achieve 45–60% conversion rates, vastly higher than typical email conversions. In Brazil, neighborhood shops have long “sold on WhatsApp” via images and catalogs; now they can also take orders and accept payments in one flow. (For comparison, Facebook reports ~40 million people browse WhatsApp business catalogs each month .)
Several tactical trends stand out:
Cart recovery via chat: Automated WhatsApp reminders and follow-ups can salvage up to ~60% of abandoned carts . (See Wapikit’s strategies on WhatsApp cart abandonment recovery for examples.)
Chatbot & AI adoption: Brands deploy AI chatbots for 24/7 support and sales. Smart bots handle FAQs and tailor recommendations, often cutting support costs ~30% . (For best practices, Wapikit’s human-like AI guides show that a friendly, conversational bot tone greatly boosts customer engagement.)
Omnichannel integration: Leading D2Cs link WhatsApp to their CRM, inventory and ad platforms. For instance, they might run a Meta ad to collect leads, then move the conversation to WhatsApp for ordering and post-sale service, creating a unified shopping funnel. This ensures the customer stays “in chat” from discovery through checkout to support.
D2C brand budgets are shifting accordingly. Firms increasingly measure sales in chat campaigns and invest in conversational automation. For example, some companies report 2× higher engagement by guiding customers through interactive chat flows on WhatsApp (versus static ads) . Others leverage influencer/live shopping on WhatsApp or integrate loyalty programs with chat. In all cases, the goal is the same: meet customers where they spend time. As one industry leader put it, “For millions of businesses in India or Brazil, WhatsApp is their website”, a testament to its centrality.
Strategic Takeaways for D2C Leaders
The data-driven trends above make clear actions for D2C founders and CMOs:
Treat WhatsApp as a primary channel. With ~80–90% of customers already on WhatsApp , brands must make it central to the sales funnel. Configure catalogs, quick replies, and promotions so customers can browse and buy without friction.
Invest in conversational AI. Fast, personalized chat wins sales. Deploy chatbots and automation to handle inquiries, recommend products, and recover carts (see Wapikit’s AI Marketing Automation 2025 guide). Design bots that feel human, customers respond best when conversations mimic natural service.
Enable in-chat payments. Integrate WhatsApp Pay (UPI) in India and Pix/card payments in Brazil to eliminate checkout friction. Data shows customers love one-click shopping: Brazil already sees high use of Pix via WhatsApp , and Indian shoppers will adopt in-chat UPI fast once fully available.
Follow up in chat. Use automated WhatsApp messages for abandoned carts and post-purchase support. Studies indicate up to ~60% of abandoned carts can be recovered with a timely chat reminder . Maintain the conversation after the sale to build loyalty.
Monitor and optimize. Track open and conversion rates in your chat campaigns (WhatsApp open rates are ~98% ). Experiment with messaging style, timing, and segmentation. Iterate based on what customers click or buy within chat.
In summary, WhatsApp commerce is already a vital frontier in India and Brazil. The vast majority of consumers in these markets use WhatsApp to shop and communicate with brands , and the channel’s performance metrics (conversion, open rate, satisfaction) are outstanding. D2C brands that embrace conversational commerce, leveraging automation, personalized chat, and integrated payments, stand to unlock significant growth. (For deeper guidance on these strategies, see our Wapikit blogs on Conversational Commerce 2025, Cart Recovery, AI Marketing Automation, and Human-like Chatbots.)