Facebook Messenger bots can support payments now

Facebook has added a new feature to its Messenger platform according to which Messenger bots can now accept payments directly in the chat without sending users to an external website.

Making the announcement at TechCrunch Disrupt, Facebook's Messenger chief David Marcus noted that the payments system will support most credit cards and payment services including Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Stripe, PayPal, and Braintree.

This means that the credentials people have already stored in Facebook or Messenger can be used to instantly make purchases in bots that are part of the new closed beta the developers can apply for.

Consumers will be able to see "Buy Now" links popping up in relevant chats and tapping the link will bring up a quick payment confirmation tab that automatically defaults to whichever credit card a user has tied to their Facebook or Messenger account.

David also revealed that 34,000 developers have joined the platform and built 30,000 bots in the April launch, up from over 10,000 developers in May and 11,000 bots in July.

He also informed that the latest version of the Messenger Platform allows developers to pull in additional UI elements like quick responses, shipping notifications or flight updates, as well as the ability to make Newsfeed ads point directly to Messenger chats.

“Inside a thread, you have identity, transaction capabilities, the ability to draw UI, and draw native buttons and interfaces,” Marcus explained. “We're bringing all these types of experiences together.”

Marcus also said that along with the addition of the new capabilities, developers will also now be given more guidance from Facebook on how to build successful Messenger experiences.