Instagram, Facebook's (NASDAQ: FB) photo- and video-sharing social media site, has rolled out a native payment feature. The in-app payment feature is still in beta and only available to a limited number of users in the US and the UK. Users can add a debit or credit card and a pin to protect their information, and can track their prior purchases. The same rules that govern Facebook's Payment system govern Instagram's. Some users can even book reservations for restaurants or spas through affiliate app Resy.
This makes it even easier for users - who can already purchase items by clicking on pop-up links in Instagram that led to retailer websites and completing online checkout as they normally would - to buy items, as they can now do so directly from an Instagram post, without any additional steps. Instagram has been experimenting with social commerce since it first introduced shoppable hashtags in 2016.
Instagram has been working to make it easier to integrate businesses and advertising into its platform, embedding it seamlessly into the user experience. Instagram is already famous for its influencers, or users with large followings who successfully market products to their audience by mixing them in with more personal content to cultivate trust and an appearance of authenticity. These influencers, and the brands and businesses that sponsor them, will now have an even more direct path for sales. Almost 80% of Instagram's 800-million-plus users follow a business directly through the platform. Still, businesses that hope to drive traffic to their websites may not be especially thrilled with the change.
It is not yet clear when and if Instagram will roll out the feature app-wide, though Instagram has hinted that it may eventually expand to cover movie ticket purchases and other industries.
Snapchat (NYSE: SNAP), Facebook's social media rival, introduced a similar feature, called Shoppable, in recent weeks. Shoppable allows advertisers to include a website with their sponsored Snapchat filters. Brands like Clairol (NYSE: PG) and Adidas (ETR: ADS) have already jumped on.
Instagram also announced Tuesday that it will introduce a "mute" feature allowing users to block content from particular people without unfriending them. Instagram spokeswoman Seine Kim said, "We're always looking at ways to make the feed a better experience for people."