Dive Brief:
- PayPal has introduced the new PayPal Commerce, a shopping platform that will help merchants integrate “Buy” buttons into social feeds, e-mails, blogs, and other forms of digital communication.
- Based on APIs from Modest, the startup PayPal acquired last year after separating from eBay, PayPal Commerce launched in closed beta testing this week.
- PayPal has more than 179 million users worldwide, which should help it establish the product against a similar offering from the payments startup Stripe.
Dive Insight:
PayPal is placing its bets on the concept of “omnicommerce” with a new product intended to help sellers insert “Buy” buttons wherever they’re needed in the digital world—be that a mobile app, e-mail, blog post, or social media mention.
Launched in a closed beta test earlier this week, PayPal Commerce is based on technology from Modest, a company PayPal acquired shortly after splitting from eBay. Using its APIs, PayPal Commerce will bring sales to marketers throughout the digital and mobile spectrum.
PayPal hasn’t disclosed how and how much it will charge to use PayPal Commerce, but so far company officials seem to be concentrating on building the platform’s user base and stability. With 179 million users worldwide, PayPal is positioned to make the product a game-changer in e-commerce.
It isn’t the first to market, however: Stripe launched the similar Stripe Relay product last fall, and has already helped companies such as Adidas, Best Buy, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Warby Parker sell across multiple digital platforms including Twitter.
