Payment start-up Ribbon has recently made two major announcements. First, it now supports payments via YouTube. Second, it has rolled out an “in-stream” payment option that allows people to buy merchandise through Twitter.
Payment start-up Ribbon has recently made two major announcements. First, it now supports payments via YouTube. Second, it has rolled out an “in-stream” payment option that allows people to buy merchandise through Twitter.
The start-up, which is supported by AngelPad, has also slashed its fees to compete with other rivals such Stripe and PayPal.
Unlike Soldsie and Chirpify, which let people buy online merchandise by commenting or replying on social media networks, Ribbon creates shortened links for sellers. By clicking on these URLs, buyers will be taken to easy-to-use web pages where they can carry out their transactions.
On top of that, these checkout pages are directly integrated into the social media sites where they are used, meaning they are secure and safe, according to Hany Rashwan, co-founder of Ribbon.
These links can also be shared in emails and on social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter, or even the seller’s own portal.
Rashwan noted that letting buyers reply and comment so that their transactions can be processed is not practical. “We tried letting people reply ‘buy’ to purchase an item, but the flow was just too long for us. It didn’t make sense for our buyers,” he commented.
Thanks to Ribbon, people can settle their transaction directly on Twitter. Users must first expand the tweet then click on the “Buy Now” button, and then they will be asked to input their email and credit card information before clicking on the “Pay” button. Twitter card technology is needed to complete the process.
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