Meta-owned social media platform Instagram is rolling out a new payment feature ‘payments for chat’ that will enable users to pay one another via direct message (DM).
The announcement was made by Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg in an Instagram post that details and shows examples of the new features.
Payments for chat will allow users to purchase products from a range of small businesses that can be tracked via DMs. The payment service will be only available for United States users so far.
“You can now buy products from small businesses and track your order in chat on Instagram in the US,” stated Zuckerberg. “Pay with Meta Pay and checkout in a few taps.”
By sending a DM to a business with whom you wish to make a purchase, users can pay, track and ask questions on the order all in the same messaging thread.
Instagram implemented the payments for chat feature as it noticed users discussing orders with businesses did not have an in-house payment solution. Now users can make payments directly via DMs whilst also gaining additional chat support from businesses of any questions the buyer may have.
Meta highlights that small businesses in the US will be able to discuss products, create orders with customer details and accept payments without having to switch apps or to another website.
The tech giant also states that one billion people message a business across Meta, Instagram, WhatsApp, and more, requesting support, discussing brands and exploring for products to purchase.
