Pinterest introduces ‘buyable pins’, making it possible to make purchases within the app

Pinterest has revealed a new feature that will see users buying things, all within the app without leaving the platform. The feature, ‘buyable pins’, will launch in the coming weeks in the US, and to Android users in the future.

The feature works by showing a blue pin button next to the normal option to pin. This buyable pin allows users to make purchases of items they like. Furthermore, users have the option to search for buyable pins and make use of the price filter to choose a specific price range for items.

Users can choose to see what they want to buy in different colours from within the app. Say you like a sweater but it is in a colour that blinds you then you can choose to see in whatever colour that you want. Below the item, there are options for users to choose the colours.

Once a buyer is happy with the specifications, colour and price, they can simply tap the buy it pin and pay with Apple Pay or a credit card. Pinterest makes no mention of Android Pay which will come out later this year with Android M.

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The company says that users will only have to enter their personal information once and they will be stored “so you don’t have to thumb it in again next time.” Pinterest is adamant that your credit card information is safe. This is perhaps not a major anymore though considering that people are already buying things online.

The company says that the feature has been optimised for mobile device use, stating that “More and more people on Pinterest are using it on their mobile devices. But it can be hard to make purchases on those devices. Buyable Pins work so seamlessly on mobile, they’ll help you close the sale right when someone has the impulse to buy.”

In terms of what this means for pinners and merchants, the company said it is free for both. Pinterest does not take a cut form user’s sale and businesses still handle shipping and customer service the way they want. The company says that this is why it is working with merchants who care about providing Pinners with the best possible experience. Businesses can add the buyable pin option by logging into its Shopify account and simply add the Pinterest channel with a few clicks.

Pinterest has partnered with leading shops to allow its users to shop from millions of hand-picked products. From great brands like Macy’s, Neiman Marcusand Nordstrom, retailers powered by Demandware like Cole Haan and Michaels, and thousands of Shopify stores like Poler Outdoor Stuff and SOBU.

Pinterest is already a place where people converge to share things they love, be it fashion, recipes, décor, gardening etc, it makes sense that it would allow those people to buy some of the things they pin.