WhatsApp drops US$0.99 annual fee
WhatsApp announced yesterday that it will no longer be charging annual subscription fees. It also reiterates that there will be no third-party ads, and will test tools to allow users to connect with businesses and organizations that they want to hear from.
WhatsApp, the world's most popular instant messaging app is doing away with its annual subscription fee to attract more users. The payment infrastructure will be taken out of all versions of the app over the next few weeks.
The company realized that the subscription model "hasn't worked well" over the years as many users do not have a credit or debit card number and do not want them to worry about losing communication with their loved ones after the first year.
It also reiterated the company's policy on not introducing third-party ads on the messaging platform. Starting from this year, WhatsApp will focus its efforts on testing tools for users to connect with businesses and organizations that they want to hear from. This may include receiving a message from an airline about a delayed flight.
Since its debut in 2009, WhatsApp has attracted a base of over 900 million monthly active users to date. It was launched exclusively for the Apple iPhone before being available on BlackBerry, Nokia Symbian, Android and Windows Phone. There was initially a one-time download fee before the company moved to the subscription model. It was eventually acquired by Facebook in 2014 for US$19 billion.
Our articles may contain affiliate links. If you buy through these links, we may earn a small commission.