Today In The Connected Economy: Facebook Launches ‘Watch Together’; Visa Expands Click-To-Pay; Social Selling Integrates With SAP

Today in the connected economy: Facebook enhances Messenger for social streaming, Visa pushes Click-to-Pay into Canada, and TVPage integrates its social selling apps with SAP.

Facebook Launches ‘Watch Together’ Feature to Bring People Together Virtually

Facebook is adding a “Watch Together” feature to its popular chat app, Messenger, to make it easier for friends and family to watch TV and movies “together” in a virtual space.

Visa’s Click to Pay Rolls Out in Canada

Following its success in the U.S., Visa’s Click-to-Pay is coming to Canada. According to Visa, the rollout is aimed at helping merchants reduce shopping cart abandonment, achieving a single integration for participating card brands and creating a simpler, smoother digital checkout experience.

Alibaba Eyes $3B Investment In Ride-Hailing Giant Grab

Chinese eCommerce giant Alibaba has injected a business-saving $3 billion investment into ride-hailing firm Grab after the pandemic decimated its business.

Gaming Platforms Betting on the ‘Metaverse’ as Next Internet

Gaming platforms like Fortnite maker Epic are betting that the wave of the future of online interaction will be in the “metaverse” – futuristic online “worlds” with functioning economies where real-world and virtual events commingle.

Deep Dive: Why BNPL Could Push SMBs Into the eCommerce Spotlight

As digital shopping has exploded during the pandemic, so too has demand for buy now, pay later (BNPL) options among consumers looking for more mechanisms to control their financial lives.

Why Early Access to Earned Wages Is No Longer Reserved for the Gig Economy

The pandemic-triggered move away from paper checks isn’t going to stop at a mere shift to digital – workers across the board know that instant access to wages is out there, and they want access yesterday.

TVPage Social Selling App Integrates With SAP Commerce

TVPage aims to help merchants reach consumers with custom-streamed shops, and SAP Commerce is helping them make that connection.