Instagram serruptiously launched a new feature on its app that allows users to make in-app payments. The addition was spotted by TechCrunch, with the company confirming to the website that a small set of partners have joined Instagram to facilitate in-app purchases.

There is a setup process, with relevant credit card details being added to one's Instagram profile. From there, services such as booking appointments at spas or reservations at restaurants are available, with integration with third-party app Resy handling the latter.

The next step will likely be the purchasing of actual products. Instagram has a substantial influencer community that get paid for mentioning a particular product or service. We can for example see the beauty and make-up industry benefiting from this new feature, with influencers capable of selling the product they may be using or endorsing, for a small percentage of profits of course.

As such, this new feature will be a nice addition for users, but it is the influencer and brands that stand to benefit the most from the introduction of ecommerce to Instagram. The rollout of this feature is happening in a test phase at the moment, and will reach the wider Instagram community in coming weeks.