Facebook’s WhatsApp messaging service is to drop its annual US99-cent subscription fee. In turn it will test ways to leverage its nearly one billion customers by allowing businesses to communicate directly with WhatsApp users instead of via ads.
“Starting this year, we will test tools that allow you to use WhatsApp to communicate with businesses and organisations that you want to hear from,” WhatsApp said. “That could mean communicating with your bank about whether a recent transaction was fraudulent, or with an airline about a delayed flight.”
Facebook bought WhatsApp for $22 billion in 2014