Facebook is trialling a ‘buy’ button for ads and page posts from brands, letting users purchase goods directly from Facebook without leaving the social network.
Initially running in the US only with select partners, the button will appear on from adverts on the desktop and mobile app versions of Facebook, as well as product page posts from brands, and connect the user directly with the retailer.
Writing in a blog post, Facebook said: “We’ve built this feature with privacy in mind, and have taken steps to help make the payment experience safe and secure.
“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 test is limited to a few small- and medium-sized businesses in the US, and is expected to help both merchants and users.
When a user clicks on an ad within Facebook for a product they would like to purchase it currently sends them to an external site.
This is not the first attempt Facebook has made to branch out into ecommerce. Back in 2012, Facebook launched a store for goods in, but axed the feature in 2013 after low engagement from users.
Meanwhile, rival Twitter added a buy button earlier this year, letting users buy products directly from ads, while Amazon added the ability to put items to a shopping cart directly through tweets in May.
Read the blog post here