As instant messengers tend to integrate more e-commerce and payment functions, Viber is planning to launch in Russia in the course of this year the new commercial and payment functions which are currently being tested in the USA.
The news was reported by Evgeniy Roshchupkin, Global Director of Marketing Activations at Viber, in an industry event last week.
“Our company is currently preparing an e-commerce solution which lets users search items by brands and names, exchange and discuss purchases before actually making them, and pay without leaving the app,” he said.
The new tool is expected to roll out to several other markets, including Russia, by the end of the year.
Viber’s focus shifting to e-commerce was announced by its CEO Djamel Agaoua earlier this year.
The company has been surprisingly inactive in the field of e-commerce, especially considering the fact that it was acquired by Rakuten in 2014, notes TechCrunch.
Recently, Ukrainian payment system WayForPay launched Up.Assistance, a service which lets its users buy tickets and order food delivery. It is accessible to Viber users exclusively.
