A survey found that 60% of users would be prepared to pay a

small annual fee for the app.

The plan of mobile messaging app WhatsApp to introduce an annual charge does not seem to deter Israeli users. A survey of 500 Israeli Internet users over-18 conducted by the M.I.S. Institute through iPanel checked the level of use of the app and if people were ready to pay NIS 4 annually for it.

60% of users said they would be prepared to pay, (31% were certain they would pay and 29% thought they would pay). The payment was seen as an obstacle to using the app only by 13% of respondent who said they would stop using Whatsapp.

The survey also found that 92% of Israeli smartphone owners use WhatsApp, and 86% of users said they used the app daily.