PayPal Gets Cozy with Facebook through Messenger

Facebook users can now choose PayPal as a funding source when making a payment to a friend inside Facebook Messenger. PayPal made the announcement on Friday and also announced its first customer service bot for Messenger, so PayPal customers can receive payment and account support directly in the Messenger app, which is used by people to instantly chat with each other.

Announcement follows:

With the shift to mobile and digital growing, we’ve seen a fundamental change in commerce. Consumers now want the ability to transact wherever they are and however they want, and PayPal is committed to being the best option to enable this. Last year we partnered with Facebook Messenger, allowing more than 2.5 million U.S. customers to connect their accounts, use PayPal to shop on Messenger and enable Messenger as a means of communication for PayPal users.

We’re excited today to announce an expansion of our relationship with Facebook with the addition of PayPal as a funding source for peer-to-peer (P2P) payments, right in Messenger. People will have the option to send and request money using their PayPal account, and this integration in Messenger is starting to roll out to U.S. consumers today.

As the leader in P2P payments with $24 billion in P2P volume during Q3 2017 alone (up 47% year-over-year), the ability to send and request money in Messenger – one of the most widely used apps in the world – gives people more choice and more convenient ways to get things done in different contexts. Whether it’s splitting a bill for a cab ride or a night out, paying for your share of the rent, or making sure you get paid back for Mom’s birthday present, PayPal makes exchanging money between friends and family simple.

It’s easy to get started. When composing a message in Messenger with one person, or even a group, people can tap on the blue plus icon, and then select the green Payments button to quickly send or request money. People can then choose PayPal as their funding source when making a P2P payment with their Messenger contacts.

PayPal Introduces Customer Service Bot for Messenger
In addition to enabling P2P payments with PayPal in Messenger, we are also introducing our first-ever PayPal customer service bot for Messenger, so PayPal customers can seamlessly receive payment and account support directly in the app. This new PayPal bot for Messenger will enable people to have meaningful customer service interactions, such as resetting passwords, handling account inquiries, and helping with refunds or payment issues so we can help you get what you need and get on with your day.

To get started, search for PayPal in the search field and type a message to PayPal and the bot for Messenger will assist you with your request. If you need additional support, you can choose to connect with PayPal’s live customer service.

SOURCE: PayPal Announcement

Ina Steiner

Ina Steiner is co-founder and Editor of EcommerceBytes and has been reporting on ecommerce since 1999. She's a widely cited authority on marketplace selling and is author of "Turn eBay Data Into Dollars" (McGraw-Hill 2006). Her blog was featured in the book, "Blogging Heroes" (Wiley 2008). She is a member of the Online News Association (Sep 2005 - present) and Investigative Reporters and Editors (Mar 2006 - present). Follow her on Twitter at @ecommercebytes and send news tips to ina@ecommercebytes.com. See disclosure at EcommerceBytes.com/disclosure/.