Facebook's next upgrade: In-store payments with Messenger
Facebook has big plans for its Messenger app. The app 鈥� which already allows users to send money to each other 鈥� is reportedly getting new features that will allow users to pay for products within the app, as well purchase in-store products.
The company鈥檚 plan is to make Messenger the 鈥渆verything app鈥� by providing increased products and services via the app, 鈥渕aking other apps irrelevant,鈥� according to Forbes.
Messenger's two latest features are an in-store payment feature, similar to Apple Pay and Samsung Pay, and "Secret Conversations,"聽a tool for , TechSpot reported.
, as Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg hinted during a press conference in January.
"We'll partner with everyone who does payments," Mr. Zuckerberg said then. "We look at the stuff that Apple is doing with Apple Pay, for example, as a really neat innovation in the space that takes a lot of friction out of transactions as well."
Facebook鈥檚 global Internet penetration is 55 percent, which means that , according to Forbes.
Messenger 鈥� which has nearly 800 million users聽鈥撀爄s also experimenting with 鈥渃hatbots,鈥� an artificial intelligence program that can have conversations with users and assist assist them with their online transactions, including shopping, booking flights, and making reservations at restaurants.
Messenger has grown rapidly from its start as a tool for text conversations. In 2015, Nielsen dubbed Messenger the fastest growing app, having increased聽聽that year alone. One key contributor to its聽rapid growth: As of 2015, you can use Messenger without having a Facebook account.
The app's evolution from chat to pay follows the model of several Asian companies, including WeChat, LINE, and KakaoTalk,聽that expanded their messaging apps into e-commerce.
