It seems that subscriptions are finally coming to WhatsApp. WhatsApp Premium is the name, perhaps obviously, but you can leave your pearls alone. For the moment. The subscription version of the world’s most popular messaging isn’t for you. Probably.
WhatsApp Premium is intended for WhatsApp Business users, according to the folks over at WABetaInfo. Since they typically know what’s going on in the app before Meta does, we’re inclined to believe them.
The point of WhatsApp Premium
The ‘feature’ is a way for owner Meta to monetise the app a little. It’s still in development but will see Business users netting a few cool features if they decide to give Mark Zuckerberg a little extra cash. It’ll be entirely optional to do so, apparently, but it might be worth looking into.
The features planned for WhatsApp Premium aren’t exactly pay-to-win, but they could make operating a business on the platform a little smoother. The ability to link up to ten (named) devices to a single Business account is the main point of interest.
Read More: WhatsApp to launch the ability to silently slip away from groups you don’t want to be in
Also possible is a custom URL for your business. This will let customers connect with the business without needing the phone number, but it won’t replace it. This can also be changed if need be. But only every 90 days. Paying Meta for extra features only goes so far (for security reasons, probably).
What’s missing from this batch of info is what Premium will cost and when it will launch. If these are the only features available to business owners, we’d expect it to be, at most, a few dollars a month. But if there are other benefits waiting in the wings, it might cost you as much as your Netflix subscription does every month. The horror.
Source: WABetaInfo