Be ready to shop on Instagram. Now Instagram has quietly added a native payment feature on app for some users. It now lets users register a debit or credit cart in profile and use it for buying things without leaving the Instagram.
TechCrunch first reported this feature and found that the feature is still in test and only selected number of users can see it for now. Users who received this feature can now see a Payment Settings option where they can add a card. Card added in profile will be made safe with a security pin.
Instagram payments are backed by Facebook’s Payments rules.
Few Instagram profiles are now using Instagram’s native payment option for allowing users book services and pay on Instagram. Instagram says you can expect direct payments for things like movie tickets through the app.
Instagram already introduced Shoppable Photo tag that allowed retailers to tag products in the photo with links. It was introduced with BigCommerce and allowed users to make purchase from the shop button without leaving the app. But that was not using any native payment option. With the new introduction, payment will be easier.
Shopping through Instagram could prove popular as Instagram is quite popular among fashion brands and fashion bloggers. They already see good reach and engagement. After the native payment option, brands can see higher conversion rates. There will not be a middle step of filling payment info, people will prefer buying on Instagram.
There is also a possibility for peer-to-peer payments on Instagram. Users can add card in their profile, so adding peer-to-peer payments will not be a tough task.
