Revolut has launched a new instant messaging feature that lets users across Europe chat within the app.

Up to now, users have been able to send gifs and stickers to other users on the app when sending money and requesting payments.

The new feature will let users have full conversations within the app – making Revolut the first company to offer the feature in the European Economic Area.

In a statement, the company said a recent survey found that two-thirds of people find it difficult to talk about money.

It said the new feature aims to make talking about money less awkward by keeping the conversation in one place.

Revolut chat. Image: Revolut

Revolut CEO Nikolay Storonsky said the move brings Revolut “one step closer to being a global financial superapp”.

“We listened to our customers who said they wanted to be able to discuss and clarify payment details within the app, rather than having to swap between Revolut and different messaging apps to send or receive funds,” he said.

“We want to give our customers more control over their financial well-being through the use of our technology, offering a service that addresses all their financial needs in one place.”

The chat function is only open to users with UK or EEA accounts. They can only chat if they have each other’s phone numbers or a payment history.

Revolut said the chat function is designed with a focus on security – and all chat messages have end-to-end encryption.

Users that don’t want the option can opt out and they can also enable or disable it completely.

The function is not available to Revolut <18 users.