Twitter appears to be heading into the e-commerce sector after its Android app leaked a preference option labeled "payment and shipping."
The leak has observers believing the microblogging site is ready to make a move into the digital commerce business. Although that feature is currently not visible on the iOS Twitter app, it looks as if Twitter wants a piece of the retail market.
Reports indicate that users have been commenting on the feature. Although it cannot be activated at this point, it does highlight what many analysts have expected: Twitter is going e-commerce in an effort to springboard on its success as a social media website.
"This is the latest in a stream of hints that Twitter is preparing a foray into commerce. Back in June, Re/Code spotted a 'buy now' button that began appearing in tweets with links to retail site Fancy. The same publication previously got its hands on documents that appeared to show commerce plans, while Twitter has been rumored to be working on a deal with payments provider Stripe for some time," says one report on the feature.
Still, despite the optimism and excitement surrounding the Twitter moves, it remains a mystery as to what Twitter is expected to offer for e-commerce and whether its model will be akin to Amazon or more like Facebook's recent moves to allow users to purchase items online through their accounts.
The addition of the payment and shipping option on the Android app for a select number of users should come as no surprise as Twitter often tests the waters with a smaller segment of its users. This appears to follow those lines.
"This e-commerce menu is perhaps the most intriguing experiment. It has the potential to increase Twitter's revenue, and would give brands a new reason to engage on the service," writes Jon Russell in detailing the rumor.
The move could also be a response to Amazon's recent efforts to enter new markets with the launch of its Amazon Fire 3D smartphone, which Tech Times has reported is easy to use and could bring into the smartphone mix new users with limited or no smartphone history. And with Twitter looking to enter the e-commerce sector, it should bring about an increase in competition.
