Pinterest Tipped To Be Adding 'Buy' Button

Pinterest has been up to different things lately, having just recently kicked off its apps initiative, and according to a new tip that has surfaced, it is also looking to enter the e-commerce sphere. The pinning website is reportedly planning to add a "buy" button that will allow users to buy some of the items they discover in pins, doing so without having to leave the website for a different one. The feature could be seen within the next half a year, though it might launch in a limited fashion first before becoming more widely available.

The information comes from the folks at Re/code, which points to unnamed sources who say Pinterest wants to make buying products directly from its website possible — and it may be available this year. According to one source, this new feature will likely kick off as a limited test, later rolling out to a larger group of users after a set amount of time.

Pinterest hasn't confirmed the rumor, but it makes sense, particularly in light of things like the Promoted Pins that were introduced not too long ago. Those who pin items will probably be buying at least some of them, and those purchases currently take place elsewhere. By introducing a Buy button, Pinterest can divert those purchases to its own platform.

Says the sources, Pinterest will soon be finalizing an agreement with the payments company Stripe, which would handle the payments for goods made through the site. Other details on how it will proceed with the plan — including how it plans to market it and how it might work with advertisers — is yet unknown.

SOURCE: Re/code