Here is a list of product releases and updates for mid-June from companies that offer services to online merchants. There are updates on pay-later financing, social commerce, B2B solutions, affiliate marketing, fraud prevention, and sales tax.
Got an ecommerce product release? Email releases@practicalecommerce.com.
Ecommerce Product Releases
Shopify launches Shop Pay Installments. Shopify has launched Shop Pay Installments, a buy now, pay later service for Shopify merchants. Exclusively powered by Affirm, Shop Pay Installments is now available to all U.S. merchants and will be automatically enabled for new merchants when they activate Shopify Payments and Shop Pay. Shop Pay Installments allows merchants to offer a fast, easy checkout experience through Shop Pay, and merchants retain a centralized view into performance.
Swiftly Systems and Juniper Networks partner to accelerate brick-and-mortar retail digital growth. Swiftly Systems, a player in retail media networks, and Juniper Networks, a manufacturer of networking hardware and software, have announced a partnership to connect brick-and-mortar retail digital capabilities with both companies’ technologies. This combined solution will enable retailers to connect with shoppers by leveraging Juniper’s Mist AI wireless location technology and Swiftly’s retail media platform for advertising.
Pinterest launches Shopping List and expands shopping features and merchant tools. Pinterest has launched Shopping List, a method for pinners to have their product pins automatically saved in one place, making it easier for them to come back and shop the items when they’re ready to buy. Pinners are also informed of compelling deals on products they’ve saved with price drop notifications. Available first in the U.S. and U.K., Shopping List will be coming to Australia, Canada, France, and Germany later this year. Pinterest is also expanding its suite of merchant tools with the launch of (i) the verified merchant program in the U.K., Australia, Canada, France, and Germany, (ii) a shop tab on profile, and (iii) product tagging in Australia, Canada, France, and Germany.
Messenger API for Instagram opens to all developers. Facebook has opened the Messenger API for Instagram to all developers. Businesses can now integrate Instagram messaging with their preferred applications and workflows, helping drive conversations that increase customer satisfaction and sales. The Messenger API for Instagram will be available to all developers who want to start building on the platform. For business accounts on Instagram wanting access to the Messenger API, Facebook will be rolling out access through a phased approach.
BigCommerce launches B2B Edition for enterprise merchants. BigCommerce has announced the global launch of B2B Edition, which enhances the selling experience for B2B enterprise merchants. B2B Edition provides an advanced suite of B2B functionalities through an exclusive partner integration of BundleB2B and BigCommerce Enterprise. The result helps merchants better facilitate online operations and provide customers with seamless transactions and self-service capabilities. BigCommerce Enterprise provides enterprise B2B sales features and seamless integration with point-of-sale and ERP platforms. B2B Edition expands these functionalities to streamline onboarding, support, and contract services into one bundle with a single point of contact.
Wix launches point-of-sale capabilities. Wix, a software-as-a-service web-builder platform, has announced the launch of Wix POS services. Wix business owners can now accept secure, in-person payments of goods and services in-store, online, and on the go, allowing them to manage sales, inventory, and data directly from the Wix platform. Wix POS is fully integrated across a user’s Wix account, syncing inventory, orders, fulfillment, CRM, analytics, data, and reports. Wix business owners can select from a variety of point-of-sale hardware kits.
Instagram introduces affiliate and shop features. Instagram is launching new ways to help creators monetize their digital efforts. Select creators can now tag products from the brands they work with or use Shops for their own product line. In the coming months, Instagram will test a native affiliate tool to allow creators to discover new products available on checkout, share them with their followers, and earn commissions for the purchases — all within the Instagram app. When they come across an affiliate post from a creator featuring a tagged product, visitors will see “Eligible for commission” at the top of the post, so it’s clear that their purchases help support that creator.
American Express makes online fraud prevention services available to more merchants. American Express has announced it is teaming with other online fraud prevention companies to help stop card-not-present fraud and make online shopping safer for its merchants and cardmembers. Enhanced Authorization, American Express’s fraud identification service, is now integrated via API into Accertify’s Fraud and Abuse Protection Platform, Microsoft’s Dynamics 365 Fraud Protection, and Riskified’s Fraud Management Platform. Additional integrations are planned to come over time. Merchants can also share enhanced transaction details directly with American Express within the authorization request or via the Enhanced Authorization API.
Tradeswell announces Criteo integration to boost brands’ presence on retail media marketplaces. To help ecommerce brands reach and convert consumers through sponsored product ads, Tradeswell, an ecommerce optimization platform, has announced an integration with Criteo’s Retail Media service. The integration allows brands to monitor, manage, and optimize their ad spend across all marketplaces in one unified environment.
Stripe launches Stripe Tax. Having acquired TaxJar earlier this year, Stripe has debuted Stripe Tax, which automates the calculation and collection of sales tax, value-added tax, and goods-and-services tax for transactions made through Stripe’s platform. Businesses can enable Stripe Tax by adding a single line of code to their website. Stripe Tax determines your customer’s precise location and calculates and collects the right amount of tax.
Etsy buys social app Depop to woo Gen Z shoppers. Etsy is acquiring Depop, a social shopping app for Gen Z (ages 15 to 30, roughly) shoppers. Depop is like eBay and Instagram combined, providing users with a way to buy and sell secondhand items, including vintage clothes, collectible sneakers, or accessories. “Depop is a vibrant, two-sided marketplace with a passionate community, a highly-differentiated offering of unique items, and a potential to further scale,” Etsy CEO Josh Silverman said in a statement Wednesday. The acquisition price is $1.6 billion.