You Can Buy Things on Instagram by Sliding Into a Seller's DMs – Gizmodo

Image: MetaNow you can be as creepy as Resident Evil 4’s famed, hunching merchant when talking with people on Instagram. “Over here, stranger. What’re ya buying?” Instagram’s parent company Meta announced Monday you can now buy directly from small business owners when chatting with them on Instagram.The company claims 1 billion people message a business each week on Meta-owned apps, which would include Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp. Now those small businesses using Instagram Direct can ask for payments within the Instagram Chat function, which could include the option to ask for customizations or other questions about stock and shipping.The company’s release said once a user asks to make a purchase, sellers can use the built-in Instagram Direct system to request a payment. Clicking on the payment link will take them to a screen just like many other online checkouts. Meta also explicitly intends the feature as a gateway to get sellers to set up digital storefronts on the shopping aspect of the app.Though businesses in the U.S. who aren’t using Instagram Shops are allowed to use this new service, sellers also need to provide the usual basic personal information in order to access the feature, according to the Instagram Direct page.…
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