WeChat news, Messaging apps like WhatsApp, WhatsApp alternative

It goes without saying that WeChat is one of the most popular messaging apps around. In fact, it’s the only app that’s giving Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp — both owned by social giant Facebook — a run for their money.

Speaking of money, widely-cited reports say that as of late last week, WeChat has started charging a 0.1 percent fee for all money transfers above RMB 20,000 (US$3,150) per month, as well as for money spent through the app.

This means that any stickers or other in-app purchases you acquire will be subject to the fee, which reportedly allows WeChat to compensate itself for fees charged by banks for doing money transfers in the first place.

It’s worth noting that smaller money transfers, and Spring Festival red envelope gifts, will not be affected by the new fees.

Despite it being a relatively small fee, some users are upset about the change and many have said they may take their payments to Alipay, which currently holds the top spot for money transfers in the country. While it charges a 0.2 percent fee, it’s only for desktop transfers; those made via mobile are currently free.

What do you think of the new fees? Let us know via the comments.

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By Josh Robert Nay

Josh Robert Nay is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of TruTower. He has worked in the telecommunications industry since 2003 and specializes in GSM based technology. He also uses (too many) VoIP apps and is a long-time user of BlackBerry, Android, and Windows Phone. He adores anything having to do with space exploration and writing. In addition to the links below, he can be found on LinkedIn and can also be found on his website at http://www.joshrobertnay.com.