Instagram has added a native payments feature to its app for some users. It lets users register a debit or credit card as part of a profile, set up a security pin, then start buying things without ever leaving Instagram for a separate website.
A spokesperson confirmed that native payments for booking appointments like at restaurants or salons is now live for a limited set of partners.
The move has been spurred by the knowledge that 200m users visit Instagram business profiles each day, with approximately half of these businesses lacking a website of their own.
In a blog post outlining its changes Instagram wrote: “As more people continue to interact with businesses on Instagram and take action when inspiration strikes, we’re making it easier to turn that discovery into action.”
Elsewhere Instagram will now filter ‘high-value’ messages straight to businesses main direct inboxes as opposed to their pending folder, capitalising on the 150m Instagram Direct conversations held with businesses each month.
As part of this process businesses will be able to take advantage of a customisable quick replies option for responding to customer queries
Instagram has in March 2017 announced that it will roll out the ability to book a service with a business directly from their profile but never mentioned native payments.
With its polished pictures and plethora of brands, shopping through Instagram could prove popular and give businesses a big new reason to advertise on the app. If they can get higher conversion rates because people don’t quit in the middle of checkout as the fill in their payment info, brands might prefer to push people to buy via Instagram.