American Express now lets you purchase stuff using Twitter

Twitter is a social network and messaging service, but it looks to be branching out and becoming a payment service too thanks to American Express.

The financial services company introduced Amex Sync with Twitter last year, which allowed you to get discounts on purchases simply by linking your card to a Twitter account and tweeting special Amex hashtags. It meant you could send a tweet then go purchase a specific item knowing you?ll get a credit applied back on to your Amex account.

Now Amex has taken the Sync service a step further, and is allowing you to purchase items directly through Twitter without needing to visit a store, website, or get your card out.

Paying through Twitter requires merchants to participate and offer special payment hashtags. A consumer using Amex Sync can then tweet that hashtag, then tweet a confirmation hashtag within 15 minutes in order for the payment to go through. There?s nothing else you need do?the transaction will appear on your Amex statement, and the product should be delivered to your door a day or two later.

You can already use the service to buy an Amex gift card, Kindle Fire HD, Xbox 360, Xbox controller, and a growing number of other desirable items. They can also be offered as deals with money off the usual price, making it even more enticing to tweet those hashtags.

It certainly removes a barrier in terms of carrying out a purchase. You don?t need to do anything other than type in a few characters and send a couple of tweets. If anything, it?s a little too easy don?t you think?

Source: http://www.geek.com/articles/mobile/american-express-now-lets-you-purchase-stuff-using-twitter-20130212/

ups Aj Mccarron Girlfriend linkedin linkedin CES 2013 joe budden notre dame