Twitter Shopping Service Leaks Out Through App Feature

If Twitter is trying to keep its imminent commerce plans confidential, it should probably clue in its mobile app developers, who have made visible a preference option for “payment and shipping” in its Android app. (It’s apparently not been yet made visible in the iOS Twitter app.)

“The setting was first highlighted by user @am_Bix, who found the option — which cannot be activated or opened at this point — buried inside the settings menu,” reported The Next Web.

A Twitter E-Commerce move has been rumored for months, but the clues are now becoming hard to resist. “This is the latest in a stream of hints that Twitter is preparing a foray into commerce. Back in June, Re/Code spotted a ‘buy now’ button that began appearing in tweets with links to retail site Fancy. The same publication previously got its hands on documents that appeared to show commerce plans, while Twitter has been rumored to be working on a deal with payments provider Stripe for some time.”
It’s not entirely clear what kind of E-Commerce value proposition Twitter is prepared to offer. It has a powerful brand and is a key part of the lives of a big slice of U.S. consumers.

But if a Tweet pushes a particular product, it would be just as easy for that abbreviated link to the company’s own site or that of a retail partner. Twitter makes the connection—for which a manufacturer or distributor would pay—but why is it in the interest of the shopper, the manufacturer/distributor or Twitter to have to directly handle the logistics of shipping? If it’s just a referral mechanism, the buy now button would seem unnecessary.

Come on, Twitter. Give us some hints as to why you would do this? You can say a lot in 140 characters if you try.