Social media giant Facebook has taken a clear step into the e-commerce sector by trialling a “buy” button enabling users to purchase goods directly from Facebook posts.
The network’s 1.2 billion users offer retailers a significant opportunity that could be extended to in-app payments for services including social gaming accounts.
In a statement yesterday, Facebook said: “With this feature, people on desktop or mobile can click the ‘buy’ call-to-action button on ads and page posts to purchase a product directly from a business, without leaving Facebook.
“We’ve built this feature with privacy in mind, and have taken steps to help make the payment experience safe and secure.”
The post continued: “None of the credit or debit card information people share with Facebook when completing a transaction will be shared with other advertisers, and people can select whether or not they’d like to save payment information for future purchases.
The current test is limited to a few small and medium-sized businesses in the US, where it is forecast the online retail sector will this year be worth around $300bn.
The move follows Twitter’s recent acquisition of CardSpring, a US start-up that helps developers create apps that accept credit card payments.
Pictured: Facebook 'buy' button test unit
