Rumours are now a reality: Twitter has released their first commerce product. Following the hiring of former Ticketmaster CEO, Nathan Hubbard, mock-ups of a “Buy Now” button have been leaked all over the Internet; today rumours become reality.
The official launch announcement from Twitter reads:
“Today we are beginning to test a new way for you to discover and buy products on Twitter. For a small percentage of U.S. users (that will grow over time), some Tweets from our test partners will feature a “Buy” button, letting you buy directly from the Tweet. This is an early step in our building functionality into Twitter to make shopping from mobile devices convenient and easy, hopefully even fun. Users will get access to offers and merchandise they can’t get anywhere else and can act on them right in the Twitter apps for Android and iOS; sellers will gain a new way to turn the direct relationship they build with their followers into sales.”
Initial tests have been built and conducted with partners such as Fancy, Gumroad, Musictoday, and Stripe; ensuring purchases could be completed using only a few taps. A click on the buy button delivers a complete product description, followed by a prompt to enter shipping and payment details. A confirmation follows and your order information is passed along to the appropriate merchant for processing.
Twitter is quite to assure would-be consumers that the process is secure and safe, with your information being properly encrypted and stored. After your first transaction, your details are retained for faster subsequent purchases –with the option to cleanse them from your account at any time.
Is this addition exciting or annoying? Personally, I can’t decide. While it’s nice to save myself effort whenever possible, it’s equally a delight not to be prompted to spend money every moment of every day.
Jillian Koskie is an experienced software developer, content writer, project manager and usability design expert. With over 17 years in these roles, Jillian has enjoyed applying her skill-set to assist clients and users across a wide variety of sectors including: legal, health, and financial services. Combining these professional opportunities with a love of technology, Jillian is pleased to contribute articles, opinions, and advice to numerous news outlets, websites, and publications.