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WhatsApp plans to expand its functionalities and add a shopping feature that will allow users to buy things directly from chats. Engadget reports. When a user sends a message to a certain company, sending a text message “I want a new guitar”, for example, the company can reply with a link to a product catalog or a specific product. The aspiring guitarist can add products to a shopping cart and purchase them without leaving the app. The whole process is explained in a promotional video, and the system will probably use Facebook Pay as the payment method. It’s not at all surprising that Facebook wants to expand the shopping features in its apps, especially after the social network launched Facebook Shops earlier this year.
There is no word on when this new feature will start rolling out, and it could take some time, judging by WhatsApp’s latest attempt to integrate transactions into the app. The company launched a pilot program in Brazil, which was intended to allow users to securely send money or make a purchase from a local business without leaving their chat. The pilot was put on hold by the Central Bank of Brazil, in order to assess potential security risks and ensure compliance with the country’s rules and regulations.
