Instagram’s test of native payments is the latest step in the app’s advancement toward e-commerce. Brands and social influencers already post photos of products on the site, making the mobile app a key way for consumers to discover new products.
Last year, Instagram rolled out shoppable pins to let brands add product information and links to buy those items on their website. The new payments feature may remove the extra step of linking to an external website and instead let users browse and buy items without ever leaving the Instagram app.
