WhatsApp introduces shopping feature in time for holidays

WhatsApp on Tuesday announced its new  carts will not be available to users, just in time for the holiday season.

According to a message from the social media platform: "Just browse a catalog, select the items you want and send the order as one message to the business. Happy shopping!"

The feature will be available globally starting today.

The new feature enables a user to go into a chat window for any business contact and click the shopping option in the top right corner of the window.

A WhatsApp FAQ outlines the process for Android users as well as iOS users.

How to place an order (Android)

When you are visiting a business’ catalog on WhatsApp, you can use the MESSAGE BUSINESS to start a conversation or use the ADD TO CART button if you’re ready to place an order with the business about a product that you’re viewing.

Adding products to cart

- Open WhatsApp.

- Go to your chat or business profile of the business you’d like to order from.

- Tap on the shopping button icon listed next to their name to access their catalog.

- Once the catalog opens, browse through the products you’d like to order.

- Tap on the product you like.

- Tap ADD TO CART on product if you’d like to order.

- Alternatively, you can also tap MESSAGE BUSINESS if you’d like to ask a specific question about the product.

Editing your cart

- Tap VIEW CART to see all the products added to your cart.

- Tap ADD MORE if you wish to navigate back to the catalog to continue adding more products.

- You can also edit quantity for each product added to your cart.

Placing an order

- Once you’ve successfully updated your cart, you can send it to the seller as a WhatsApp message.

- Once sent, you will be able to see the details of your order by tapping on the VIEW CART button in your chat window with the seller.

- Note: You can edit the message before sending your cart to the seller.

How to place an order (iOS)

When you are visiting a business’ catalog on WhatsApp, you can use the Message Business button to start a conversation or use the Add to Cart button if you’re ready to place an order for the product that you’re viewing.

Adding products to cart

- Open WhatsApp.

- Open your chat or business profile of the business you’d like to order from.

- Tap on the shopping button icon listed next to the business name to access their catalog.

- Once the catalog opens, browse through the products you’d like to order.

- Tap on the product you like.

- Tap Add to Cart on products you’d like to order.

- Alternatively, you can also tap on Message Business if you’d like to message the business about the product query.

Editing your cart

- Tap on the cart icon to see all the products added to your cart.

- Tap Add more if you wish to navigate back to the catalog to continue adding more products.

- You can also edit the quantity for each product added to your cart.

Placing an order

- Once you’ve successfully updated your cart, tap the send icon to send your cart to the seller as a WhatsApp message.

- Once sent, you will be able to see the details of your order by tapping on the View cart button in your chat window with the seller.

"If you’d like to enquire about multiple items listed in a seller’s catalog, you can add all of them to your cart and send your enquiry in a single message. An order isn’t final until confirmed by the seller," the FAQ adds.