Amazon.com has introduced a new Mobile Associates API for Kindle Fire and other Android devices, which lets users purchase various physical goods from within mobile apps.
Amazon.com, world's largest online retailer, announced Tuesday its new Mobile Associates API that allows Android app developers to sell real world goods from within the app. Developers can also earn up to 6 percent with the sale of each product, which will be a source of additional revenue for those who develop free apps.
Currently, consumers can purchase digital goods such as game features and magazines from within the app, Amazon's new step to add physical goods will result in good business for the company and the developers. The real world goods available for sale on mobile apps will be related to the app or the game. For instance, a developer with a health and fitness app can offer its customers a range of health products such as vitamins, supplements fitness bands and lot more. Similarly, a game developer can sell toy versions of one of the game characters or other merchandises.
This is a wide field where developers can offer a range of interesting products to users.
"The Mobile Associates API allowed us to build an in-app custom offer wall featuring relevant Amazon goods on the game Thor: Lord of Storms, such as Thor's popular hammer or action figures," said Yusuf Goolamabbas, CTO of Animoca, in a press release. "We can now provide a complete in-app gaming and merchandising experience. Using the API we can give away free virtual items like in-game currency whenever players purchase physical products from our offer wall. This will increase player engagement and help us make money through earning commission for each sale. We are very happy with the ease of integration of this API and applaud Amazon for its innovative combination of real-world commerce and freemium gaming."
Consumers will still be able to use Amazon's popular 1-Click checkout and Prime shipping for easy purchases.
While Amazon has started the real good purchases from its mobile apps, Facebook, world's largest social network, ended its support for physical gifts service after learning that only a small percent of people opt to buy these goods in comparison to digital gift cards, which roughly account for 80 percent of online purchases.
