Didi-linked Brazilian ride-hailer to enable bookings through WhatsApp

Livia Pozzi, operations manager at 99, said the partnership is aimed at Brazil’s lower-income population, who may live in regions with weaker phone signals or have less smartphone specifications to handle larger apps.

The service allows 99’s customers to order rides over WhatsApp that will be payable through cash – still the preferred payment method of most of the country’s population. However, the company said WhatsApp will introduce its new instant payment system in 99 at a later date, which would allow users to pay fares on the 99 app directly.

Initially set to be launched in four cities in Brazil’s Sao Paulo state, 99 aims to roll out the new feature to the whole country by the end of the year, the exec said. WhatsApp currently has 120 million active users in the country, which has a population of 210 million, according to the statement.

Meanwhile, 99 has roughly 20 million registered users with over 750,000 active drivers. It competes with US-based Uber, which stands as the market leader in the country.