WhatsApp is introducing a new feature to WhatsApp that make it easier to shop using the chat app. Launched in plenty of time for Christmas shopping, ‘carts’ in WhatsApp are designed to make it easy to buy multiple items from the same seller, much like shopping at a regular online store.
The addition of carts means that it is now possible to browse through a catalog of good, select one or more for purchase, and easily complete the purchase with a payment. Orders are sent to a seller in the form of a message, making things easy for both sides of the transaction.
The benefits of WhatsApp’s carts exist for both buyer and seller. While shoppers will find it easier to buy what they want through the instant messaging platform, businesses will find that it is easier to keep track of orders and invoices that are received through this medium.
WhatsApp’s popularity as a shopping service means that the company recently announced that it’s investing in new business features. These include offering hosting services for businesses to manage their WhatsApp messages and expanding ways for customers to make purchases right from a chat.
Despite its popularity as a shopping destination, WhatsApp’s support for actually making payments in-app is still in its early stages globally, Reuters reports that the president of the country’s central bank, Roberto Campos Neto, recently indicated that he expected them to relaunch peer-to-peer payments “soon,” following the launch of Brazil’s new state-owned instant payments system
