Facebook extends ‘buy’ button testing to a larger group of US merchants

Facebook is working with e-commerce platform Shopify to extend testing of its ‘buy’ button, which lets users purchase products without leaving the social network. Facebook began trialling the buy button with a small group of Shopify merchants last summer, enabling people to purchase products advertised on the social network directly from sellers by clicking a call-to-action tab on ads and page posts.

A far larger group of US-based Shopify firms are now being invited to join a beta test, where they can add the new Facebook sales channel to their account and start posting products with buy buttons, promoting them with paid advertising.

„The buy button allows consumers to easily purchase items they see on their News Feed or on Pages without leaving Facebook. Buying is safe and secure, and consumers can optionally choose to save their payment information with Facebook for future purchases. This makes purchasing easier, especially on mobile.”, says shopify on its blog.

The beta test of the Facebook buy button is currently being tested in the U.S. only. „This is only being tested with Shopify merchants. We don’t have any future plans to share as of now.”, according to source.

The expanded trial comes in the wake of news that another social network, Pinterest is introducing its own button that will be available to Shopify merchants.
Commenting the Facebook move, Nitsa Sparkle says:
„So after last weeks Pinterest buy button that doesn’t apply to most non US merchants, we move onto Facebook. Non-US you are a second class Shopify citizen it seems. For once, not bothered, despite all the hype I think the reality is Facebook is crap for most ecommerce.”