WhatsApp joining question.

[Wally The Confused]

Hi All.
Yesterday, I signed up to WhatsApp. After the initial download, on opening , the first thing that came up was : Add Payment Details

I had to add a card & fill in the details . then I was allowed to continue.

Why do I need to add ; either a Card or Pay Pal, to a supposedly Free App ?

Any info will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
Wally The Confused

 

[darius_robin]

Never heard of this before, when I joined, they didn't ask me.

 

[Javier P]

Where did you sign in? Did you download the app from the Play Store? WhatsApp has been completely free for a while.

 

[Wally The Confused]

I just used Google, looking for the Whatsapp, and found their site.
No, I never thought to go through the play store ???
Unfortunately a friend of mine, helping me sort it out, couldn´t remember if she got the pay part or not.
Anyway, as said, as far as I could see, it was straight from the Whatsapp site , and not via a third party.
It started working immediately, and I am monitoring my bank account, to see if anything happens.
So far...So Good.
Thanks for the replies.
Wally The Confused