Facebook has begun testing a system that allows its members to pay for purchases from their mobile device using their account on the online social network.
“We are working on a very small scale test that gives people the option of use their payment information already stored on Facebook to fill the payment form when they make a purchase in a mobile application, “said Thursday in a statement sent by email.
identifying themselves as members of Facebook, they will no longer need to enter their bank details, for example, because the application will automatically retrieve credit card numbers or PayPal account they have provided in the past network.
Facebook ensure that its objective is not to compete with the established payment systems.
The test is performed for the now with only “one or two partners” and “does not replace the management of the payment by the current application provider, such as PayPal,” he said.
Additional information collected
“We continue to have a very good relationship with our partners in payment systems, and this is only to test how we can help applications to make shopping easier, “he added.
AllThingsD.com information site specializing in the technology sector and revealed the existence of tests, says the service could allow Facebook to collect additional information on the buying habits of its members, especially lucrative data for advertising purposes.
He notes, however, that the network should not have for the moment a huge database of bank data, even if he has recovered for members who have used the service or small gifts made payments for online games.
revenue “payments and other” in the second quarter accounted for only $ 214 million on $ 1.8 billion in sales Business Facebook.
(with AFP)
