American Express recently announced a new way for cardmembers to make purchases using Twitter. The program, called Now You Can Tweet To Buy!, allows AmEx cardholders in the United States to buy products directly through a tweet.
To use the program, cardmembers need to first link their Twitter account with their AmEx account. This allows AmEx to identify the cardmember when they tweet about wanting to make a purchase. After linking accounts, cardmembers can simply tweet at the @Amex handle with the item they want to buy along with the hashtag #BuyWithAmex.
Once the tweet is sent, an AmEx representative will respond to the cardmember to confirm their order and walk them through completing the purchase. AmEx promises a seamless buying experience right within Twitter, without needing to leave the platform or open a browser. After confirming order details via tweet, the item will be purchased using the cardmember’s linked AmEx card and shipped to them.
AmEx is launching the Twitter buying program to enhance its reputation for providing superior customer service. By enabling cardmembers to make purchases through non-traditional channels like Twitter, AmEx hopes to demonstrate its commitment to understanding the evolving needs of its tech-savvy customer base. The company also views social commerce as an emerging trend and wants to be at the forefront of enabling transactional experiences within social platforms.
A few limitations exist with the new Twitter purchasing functionality. Only cardmembers located in the 50 United States are eligible to participate and all transactions must be made in USD. Additionally, some purchase types such as airline tickets, events tickets, and hotel reservations are not supported. For now, the program is restricted to physical goods and digital services only.
Still, Now You Can Tweet To Buy! represents an innovative offering from American Express that pushes the boundaries of how and where consumers can make purchases with AmEx cards. It provides convenience and accessibility that is likely to resonate well with cardmembers who are also active Twitter users. As social commerce gains more traction, look for AmEx and other major credit card brands to continue expanding buy functionality into social channels.