PayPal rival Stripe is powering the new Twitter Buy button as it helps companies move ecommerce to mobile devices. Stripe launched Relay this week, a set of tools (called API) for developers – “People can buy products directly within your app rather than getting pushed to third-party websites,” Stripe explained.
The problem, as Stripe saw it: “Despite mobile devices representing 60% of browsing traffic for shopping sites, they only make up 15% of purchases.”
As we reported last year, Twitter began testing Buy buttons with Stripe last September, which it detailed on its blog.
On Monday, Stripe showed off its capabilities by linking to a tweet from WarbyParkerwhere the online retailer offers a pair of sunglasses that can be purchased directly on Twitter. “Grab a new fall read and Downing in English Oak – a go-to pair of sunglasses for any season. Buy now from this tweet!” @WarbyParker tweeted.
If you click the Buy button in the tweet, a dialog box appears describing the product and asking users to specify gender in a pull-down menu. The box defaults to an “About” screen, but users can also click on the Shipping or Return hyperlink to get more information.
Once you’ve specified gender to indicate if you want a man or woman’s pair of sunglasses, you can click the Buy now button and be taken to the “Enter payment & shipping information screen” – you’re still in the dialog box on Twitter. Once you enter the information, you hit Save to make your purchase.
Stripe explains that stores can use Relay to enable instant purchases in third-party mobile apps. Its first ecommerce integration is with SAP Hybris, used by stores like Levi’s, Oakley, and Ted Baker – “but expect more to come later,” it said.
Visa made a strategic investment in Stripe last year – you can read more about the company in this Bloomberg article from last September.
If you’re a developer, you can read more about Relay on Stripe’s blog post from Monday.
