Impulse buyers beware. A new "buy" button on Twitter allows users to make a purchase of a tweeted product immediately from their newsfeed.
The social network will test the new button by embedding it into posts "to make shopping from mobile devices convenient and easy," according to Twitter. Initially, a small percentage of U.S. users will have access to the new feature on their Android and iOS Twitter apps.
"I think of Twitter as the place to connect with the things that you love," Nathan Hubbard, who is leading Twitter's commerce efforts, told The New York Times. Hubbard previously served as the former chief executive of Ticketmaster. "How can you bring a transaction into the experience to make it additive?"
Nearly 30 different music artists, brands and nonprofit organizations have partnered with Twitter for exclusive offers and merchandise. They include Brad Paisley, Demi Lovato, GLAAD, Pharrell Williams and 9/11 Day.
Twitter doesn't know exactly what its users will want to purchase using the new service. Hubbard suspects the products that will sell best are "anything that is perishable, that has a temporal component to it, or a sense of urgency," he told the Times.
"Sellers will gain a new way to turn the direct relationship they build with their followers into sales," group product manager Tarun Jain wrote in a blog post.
Once users have tapped the "buy" button, they will be directed to the seller's Twitter page and given additional product details. Users will then enter their shipping and payment information. The order information is sent to the merchant for delivery once the user's information is confirmed.
Twitter users can keep their payment and shipping information stored so they don't have to reenter the information for every purchase. The social network won't share credit card information with the seller unless the user grants permission. Stripe, a payment processor for many e-commerce companies, will handle the financial transactions, according to The New York Times.
More companies, artists and organizations will be added and more users will become eligible to use the service soon.
