Snapchat Is Testing A Camera Feature That Lets You Easily Buy Items From Amazon

Following Instagram’s announcement of new shopping features last week, Snapchat is joining the fun with a new partnership with Amazon.

According to Snapchat, the company is partnering with Amazon for a new Visual Search shopping feature. Its new Visual Search functionality will allow users to point their Snap camera at a physical product or a barcode and press and hold on the screen to identify the product. From there, an Amazon popup will appear, allowing you to quickly and easily buy the product, see reviews, and look at similar products.

Here’s how it works

It’s super easy to use. Simply point your Snapchat camera at a physical product or barcode, and press and hold on the camera screen to get started.

When the item or barcode is recognised, an Amazon card will appear on-screen, surfacing a link for that product or similar ones available on Amazon. Tap your selection to visit the Amazon App (if you have it installed on your phone) or Amazon.com, where you can complete your purchase or keep browsing.

“Beginning this week, we’re testing a new way to search for products on Amazon right from the Snapchat camera. We’ll be rolling it out slowly, but we wanted to announce it to everyone at the same time,” the company said on a blog post.

The addition of Visual Search comes as Snapchat and Instagram look for additional revenue sources, with online shopping being one of their biggest targets. For Snapchat specifically, the company reported its first-ever decline in active users last quarter, and while its revenue grew, it still reported a net loss of $353 million.

If you don’t see the new Visual Search feature right away, be patient as the company warns it might take a while for everyone to see it, as  the feature will be rolling to users slowly starting this week.