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 business, texting “I want a new guitar” for example, the business can then answer with a link to a product catalog or a specific product. The wanna-be guitarist can then 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 a method of payment. It’s not surprising at all that Facebook wants to expand shopping features across its apps, especially after the social network launched Facebook Shops earlier this year.
There’s no information on when this new feature will start to roll out, and it might take some time, judging by WhatsApp’s last attempt to integrate transactions into the app. The company launched a pilot program in Brazil, which was meant to allow users to send money securely or make a purchase from a local business without leaving their chat. The pilot was put on pause by Brazil’s Central Bank, in order to evaluate potential security risks and ensure compliance with rules and regulations in the country.
