CAPE TOWN – Facebook confirmed that it is testing a new feature that allows merchants to sell items on a live stream.
According to a report by Tech Crunch, How it works is when a seller demonstrates items on their stream, customers can then take photos of the item by using a screenshot button that will appear below the screen and then can message merchant directly for that specific item.
The merchant will then be able to send payment requests through Messenger.
The feature is currently being tested in Thailand and independent sellers in the country have recently taken to Facebook Live to sell a variety of products such as cosmetics to handbags and other fashion items.
According to a report, Facebook said that it won't be taking any percentage of payments through Messenger. However, the feature could still help earn the company money at a time when it’s seeking revenue streams beyond News Feed ads.
In October, the company started using Marketplace to help users in Thailand to find a place to live by adding a rental feature.
On the app, Users can visit the revamped Property for Rent category on Marketplace and browse rental units from partners including Dot Property, Hipflat andProperty Flow, in addition to listings from consumers.
Thailand was the first country to have dual-language for the rental category.
The home rental experience includes:
- Custom filters delivering useful information on location, price, rental types, number of bedrooms and bathrooms, square metres, and pet friendliness.
- A map view to browse listings by location.
- A broader selection of rental listings from professional agents, landlords, and property managers.