Today's Commexis Cast discusses Instagram's silently releasing in-app payment options for some US and UK users and brands. As Tech Crunch's Josh Constine first reported from a reader tip by Genady Okrain, Instagram has updated their app to include payment options. Users can register a credit or debit card to their profile, and then crate a pin number for added security.

You can read Constine's piece here: https://techcrunch.com/2018/05/03/instagram-payments/

Dinner reservation app Resy is the first to take advantage of these new features, with some of their clients' Instagram pages taking full advantage of the time-and-click-saving effort. Instagram also said they intend to roll this feature out for movie ticket purchases in the near future. We're sure there's more planned there, as well.

Instagram's update comes only a few months after Snap's opening of an in-app Snapchat Store, where users can purchase Snapchat themed clothes, plushies, and other items. While Snap's store doesn't yet allow brands to sell directly to consumers, with some exception, it isn't surprising to see it as a potential down the line.

Whether this will expedite purchasing for consumers and brands, or just be one more storefront in need of maintenance, is yet to be seen.

Today's cast: Phillip Brooks (Commexis Lead Strategist) and Matthew McGrorty (Commexis Videographer/Podcaster).

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