Amazon will now run shopping ads for select products on popular photo messaging app Snapchat, an Amazon spokesperson confirmed to CNN.
Unlike prompts to get a user to open their phone’s web browser, Amazon’s shopping ads will allow them to shop and check out without having to exit the Snapchat app.
“For the first time, customers will be able to shop Amazon’s Snapchat ads and check out with Amazon without leaving the social media app,” the Amazon spokesperson said in an email to CNN. “Customers in the U.S. will see real-time pricing, Prime eligibility, delivery estimates, and product details on select Amazon product ads in Snapchat as part of the new experience. In-app shopping with Amazon is available for select products advertised on Snapchat and sold by Amazon or by independent sellers in Amazon’s store.”
Snapchat shows ads to users when they click through their friends’ “stories” or temporary video or photo posts that can be publicly or selectively viewed for 24 hours.
Amazon did not comment on how long the deal was in the works for or what percentage of in-app sales Snapchat will keep.
Snapchat’s parent company Snap declined to comment on the partnership.
The advertising deal comes as social media platforms increasingly look to grow their e-commerce offerings to convince users to spend more time and money on their apps. Instagram, and more recently TikTok, have built dedicated in-app marketplaces where businesses can sell items directly to users. And countless brands have turned to social media platforms and their hundreds of millions of users to advertise their products.
The ads also come at a turning point for Snapchat, which has rapidly expanded its user base in recent years — the platform had 406 million daily active users as of the end of September — but has struggled to grow its ad business at the same rate. Snap last month reported a 5% year-over-year increase in revenue for the September quarter, returning to growth after two consecutive quarters of revenue declines.
The Amazon partnership could put Snapchat one step closer to competing with the robust in-app shopping experiences of rivals like Instagram.
Shares of Snap were up 7% at market close Tuesday following the Amazon announcement.
The Snapchat news comes on the heels of a similar Amazon initiative announced with Meta’s Facebook and Instagram platforms last week.
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