Connect PhonePe to WhatsApp with WatEase
Connecting PhonePe to WhatsApp with WatEase lets you take PhonePe payments — UPI and wallet — directly from a WhatsApp conversation, by dropping a PhonePe payment link into the chat and settling it against your own PhonePe merchant account.
This is the PhonePe Payment Gateway (PG) for consumer checkout. You enter the Merchant ID, Salt Key, and Salt Index that PhonePe issued you; WatEase stores them AES-256-GCM encrypted per workspace and uses them to create payments, verify them, and issue refunds.
It runs as an alternative UPI/wallet processor alongside Razorpay, so you can keep both connected and pick which one handles a given business line.
Before you start
- A WatEase account with a WhatsApp Business number already connected.
- An approved PhonePe merchant account with the Payment Gateway (PG) enabled.
- Your Merchant ID, Salt Key, and Salt Index from the PhonePe Business / PG dashboard.
Step by step
- 1
Open Payment Gateways in WatEase settings
Sign in to WatEase and go to Dashboard → Settings → Payment Gateways, or open /settings/payment-gateways directly. This page lists every payment processor you can connect to your workspace.
- 2
Collect your credentials from PhonePe
In a separate tab, sign in to your PhonePe Business / PG dashboard and copy the three credentials PhonePe issued you: the Merchant ID, the Salt Key, and the Salt Index. Keep these private — they authorise charges against your account.
If your PhonePe account is still in test mode, your Merchant ID will look like the sample placeholder MERCHANTUAT. Use your live Merchant ID once PG is approved for production.
- 3
Open the Configure PhonePe dialog
On the Payment Gateways page, find the PhonePe card and select it. A dialog titled "Configure PhonePe" opens with the fields you need to fill in.
- 4
Enter your Merchant ID
In the "Merchant ID" field, paste the Merchant ID from your PhonePe dashboard (the placeholder shown is MERCHANTUAT). This identifies your merchant account to PhonePe on every payment.
- 5
Enter your Salt Key and Salt Index
Paste your key into the "Salt Key" field and your index into the "Salt Index" field. WatEase uses these to sign each request and to validate PhonePe's X-Verify checksum on the callback, so both must match your dashboard exactly.
The Salt Index is usually a small number such as 1. Copy it exactly as PhonePe shows it — a wrong index fails checksum validation just like a wrong key.
- 6
Save and activate PhonePe
Save the dialog. WatEase encrypts all three credentials AES-256-GCM and stores them scoped to your workspace only. On the same page you can set PhonePe as your default gateway or activate it so it starts handling checkout.
- 7
Set your callback URL in the PhonePe dashboard
WatEase does not auto-register the webhook. In your PhonePe dashboard, set the payment callback URL to the WatEase PhonePe callback endpoint so PhonePe can notify WatEase when a payment completes. WatEase validates that inbound webhook with the X-Verify checksum before updating the order.
If this URL is missing or wrong, a customer can pay successfully but the order will never move to paid on your side.
- 8
Send a test payment link in WhatsApp
From a WhatsApp chat, generate a PhonePe payment link and pay it yourself with a small amount. Confirm the payment is verified and the order updates, then issue a refund from the order to confirm the full round trip works before you go live.
What it does
- Create a PhonePe payment for an order or an ad-hoc amount.
- Generate a PhonePe payment link and send it straight into a WhatsApp chat.
- Verify a payment against PhonePe before marking the order paid.
- Handle PhonePe's inbound webhook with X-Verify checksum validation.
- Process refunds back through PhonePe.
- Run PhonePe as an alternative UPI/wallet processor alongside Razorpay, chosen per business line.
What it does not do
- PhonePe Payment Gateway (PG) only — there is no PhonePe Switch integration in WatEase.
- No payment dispute or chargeback handling.
- WatEase does not auto-register the webhook; you set the callback URL yourself in the PhonePe dashboard.
- Thinner than the Razorpay connector — there is no separate order-capture step surfaced.
Troubleshooting
- Checksum or X-Verify error when creating or verifying a payment
- The Salt Key or Salt Index is wrong. Re-copy both from your PhonePe dashboard into the "Salt Key" and "Salt Index" fields of the Configure PhonePe dialog — a single wrong character or the wrong index breaks the checksum.
- Payment was taken but the order is not marked paid
- PhonePe could not reach the callback. Check that the payment callback URL in your PhonePe dashboard points at the WatEase PhonePe callback endpoint exactly — WatEase does not register it for you.
- "Merchant not found" or the payment is rejected immediately
- The Merchant ID is wrong or your account is still in test mode. Confirm you have pasted your live Merchant ID and that PhonePe has approved PG for production, not just the UAT sandbox.
- PhonePe never appears as a checkout option
- The gateway is saved but not active. Go back to Settings → Payment Gateways and activate PhonePe, or set it as the default, so it starts handling checkout.
Frequently asked questions
- Is this PhonePe Switch or the PhonePe Payment Gateway?
- It is the PhonePe Payment Gateway (PG) for consumer checkout only. WatEase does not integrate PhonePe Switch, and nothing in this connector uses or requires it.
- Does WatEase charge extra to accept PhonePe payments?
- No. WatEase does not add a fee on top. You still pay PhonePe's standard payment gateway charges and Meta's WhatsApp conversation fees, billed by PhonePe and Meta respectively.
- Can I run PhonePe and Razorpay at the same time?
- Yes. Both can stay connected, and you can pick which one processes a given business line. PhonePe runs as an alternative UPI/wallet processor alongside Razorpay.
- Where do I get the Merchant ID, Salt Key, and Salt Index?
- From your PhonePe Business / PG dashboard. These are the merchant credentials PhonePe issues you; WatEase never generates them.
- Are my PhonePe credentials stored securely?
- Yes. The Merchant ID, Salt Key, and Salt Index are stored AES-256-GCM encrypted and scoped to your workspace only.
See also the PhonePe integration overview.