Facebook Wants To Sell You Stuff With New 'Buy' Button

Facebook has just made it a bit easier for you to make those impulse buys with the launch of a new “Buy” call-to-action button that will be featured on ads and Page posts. The new feature will allow shoppers to purchase a product directly from businesses featured on the social media site without having to visit an outside page.

The new service, which Facebook described in a blog posting, is initially being tested with a "few small and medium-sized businesses" in the United States, and will soon be available on the mobile and desktop PC version of its website. Facebook users viewing sponsored ads from the select merchants will soon see the Buy Button as an option, allowing them to purchase whatever goods or services that are being offered.

For those concerned about privacy and/or security Facebook says they built the feature with privacy in mind, and have taken steps to help make the payment experience safe and secure. None of the credit or debit card information people share with Facebook when completing a transaction will be shared with other advertisers, and people can select whether or not they’d like to save payment information for future purchases.

Facebook isn't the only social media company testing out this type of feature. Twitter has been quietly testing a new "Buy now" button that apparently lets you purchase items featured in tweets without leaving the site. The Twitter Commerce service will appear inside users’ Twitter stream, similar to promoted tweet advertisements, according to the documents seen by ReCode.