Facebook and PayPal Launch Peer-to-Peer Payments in Messenger

As of Friday, Facebook Messenger users can make peer-to-peer payments with PayPal as a funding source, the social media company announced. The new functionality currently available to iOS users in the US and will come to Android users soon, Facebook said.

Financial services, including services from PayPal, already have a large presence on Facebook Messenger. Facebook launched payments on Messenger in 2015. In April of this year, the company enhanced the platform's peer-to-peer payments capabilities, enabling users in the app to send or receive money between groups of people. Facebook also rolled out M, a limited version of its AI assistant that offers help with a handful of specific tasks, including paying or requesting money.

Facebook Messenger users will be able to tap on the blue plus icon within the app, then select the green Payments button, and choose PayPal to send money. This functionality will work in one-on-one conversations, as well as in group texts. PayPal said this will make it easy to split a bill, pay rent, and more.

Although PayPal's press release doesn't specify, the company's image depicting the new feature confirms that a user's PayPal balance and linked banking accounts can be chosen for P2P payments in Facebook Messenger.

We’re excited today to announce an expansion of our relationship with Facebook with the addition of PayPal as a funding source for peer-to-peer (P2P) payments, right in Messenger. People will have the option to send and request money using their PayPal account, and this integration in Messenger is starting to roll out to U.S. consumers today.

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. 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.

There will also be a new PayPal customer service bot for Messenger, letting PayPal customers receive account support without leaving Facebook's app. Specifically, with the company's bot PayPal users will be able to reset passwords, ask for help with refunds or payment issues, and other general account inquiries.

PayPal's new P2P solution in Facebook Messenger is debuting ahead of Apple Pay Cash, which still has an unclear launch date in a future update to iOS 11. When it releases, Apple Pay Cash will let users send money to one another within Apple's Messages app.