Instagram’s New Checkout Feature: What Businesses Need To Know

INSTAGRAM CHECKOUT FEATURE

On March 19th, Instagram announced that it’s testing a new feature called Checkout. Instagram currently has over 1 billion active users, so this new feature has the potential to impact many users’ shopping experience greatly. The Checkout feature will allow users to buy products from beauty, fashion, apparel, and other brands within the Instagram app. Instead of a ‘View on Website’ button when you tap through, users will see a ‘Checkout on Instagram’ option, which will enable them to make a purchase right there, before returning to their Instagram feed.

Right now, the process is being launched in closed beta, which means that it’s not available to all brands. It’s currently only available to 23 businesses who are participating in the initial trial. This new feature is also only available to users in the US. While it’s limited in use right now, this will not be the case forever. Instagram has taken a gradual approach to e-commerce and now is at the point where this new tool will allow convenience to both brand and consumer.

HOW IT WORKS

With Checkout, when a user logs into Instagram and taps to view a product, they will now see the “Checkout on Instagram” button instead of a “View Website” button. People can touch that button to select variations of the products such as color and size then you will be able to purchase your selection without leaving the app. To do this, Instagram users will need to enter their name, email, billing information, and shipping address. After entering this information the first time, Instagram will save your data for easier buying in the future. The Checkout feature ensures convenience and security to make for a better shopping experience for all users. Within Instagram, users will also have access to their shipment notifications and delivery status to keep track of purchases.

SOME OF THE BRANDS USING THE NEW FEATURE:

Here’s a list of some of the brands who are using the new beta feature on Instagram. You can find the full list on Instagram’s press website to get an idea of all of the types of brands that are participating in Instagram.

1. Kylie Cosmetics
2. Adidas
3. Dior
4. Michael Kors
5. Nike
6. Nars
7. Outdoor Voices
8. Burberry
9. Revolve
10. Mac Cosmetics

CONCLUSION

At this stage, the new Checkout feature on Instagram is quite limited and it won’t become available to all brands, or in all areas of the world, for some time. With that being said, in due time, this could be the breakout feature that eventually pulls in a lot of money for Instagram and the participating businesses. The main takeaway is to understand that the Instagram Checkout feature is a marathon and not a race. It won’t affect your marketing approach immediately but it will eventually. While Instagram has slowly been on this path for a long time, this new feature is a significant step for Instagram and can significantly benefit businesses in the future.