Instagram now lets you shop in chat

Instagram is making it a little easier for creators to make a living from their merch. The social network has introduced the option to shop through chats. Message a small business and you can ask questions, receive product details and check out (using Meta Pay, naturally) without leaving the conversation. You can buy and customize that must-have shirt without visiting a website or looking for a shoppable post. The feature is available through qualified small businesses in some countries. We've asked Meta for more details.

Chat-based shopping isn't a surprising move. You can already shop through WhatsApp chats in many countries. This expansion could make Instagram chats just as viable for shopping, and might be particularly useful in North America and other regions where WhatsApp doesn't have much clout. If nothing else, this makes Instagram more of a full-service storefront — you might never need to leave the app to address your concerns.