Here is a list of product releases and updates for mid-May from companies that offer services to online merchants. There are updates on online payments, loyalty programs, selling on Amazon, virtual reality, and more.
Got an ecommerce product release? Email releases@practicalecommerce.com.
Ecommerce Product Releases
Square launches Online Checkout. Square has launched Online Checkout, which facilitates ecommerce payments without the need for an online store. Create a payment link in just a few steps, give it a name, a price, and save. Then it’s ready to share. Send the link through email, text, or social media. Customers click and get taken to a simple checkout screen where they only need to enter their name, email, and credit card or other payment info. Merchants pay 2.9 percent + 30¢ per transaction.
Square Online Checkout
Plastiq accelerates new credit card acceptance product. Plastiq, an intelligent payment service for small and medium-sized businesses, has announced the accelerated availability of Plastiq’s card acceptance product. Initially slated for late Q3 2020, Plastiq’s enhanced payment acceptance features will help businesses get paid faster and more reliably. Plastiq enables SMBs to accept credit card payments for free, without having to pay the typical 2.5 to 4 percent fee that traditional payment services providers charge. SMBs who sign up for the waitlist will receive early access to Plastiq’s card acceptance product for free beginning May 24, with general availability this summer.
Amazon Advertising launches Learning Console for new courses and certifications. Amazon Advertising has launched an instructional management system for its customers to learn new skills or dive deep into a subject by completing learning paths, which are multiple modules in specific topic areas. Individuals can validate their knowledge and demonstrate achievements by sharing certification badges with colleagues, clients, and their social network.
Pinterest launches app on Shopify. Pinterest is launching a new app with Shopify that gives merchants a quick way to upload catalogs to Pinterest and turn their products into shoppable Product Pins. The Pinterest app on Shopify includes a suite of shopping features such as tag installation, catalog integration, automatic daily updating of products, and an ads-buying interface. Once installed, the app will allow merchants to deploy a tag on their website, upload their product catalog, and quickly publish in-stock Product Pins. Businesses will also see a shop tab appear on their profile as an additional way for their products to be discovered.
Pinterest App on the Shopify App Store.
Promote curbside pickup in Google local inventory ads. Using local inventory ads, retailers can show consumers available products for nearby store pickup. Merchants can indicate (in local inventory ads) if they offer curbside pickup. The local-inventory-ads curbside-pickup badge is in beta and available to advertisers who have completed the onboarding for store pickup. Merchants can request a review of their eligibility.
Virtual reality provider SPACES launches ecommerce platform with Digital River. Digital River, a global ecommerce enabler for brands, has announced that SPACES, which delivers immersive virtual reality experiences, is leveraging its MyCommerce platform to offer its new SPACES VR video conferencing application to users worldwide. With Digital River’s MyCommerce service, SPACES was able to quickly get its ecommerce operation up and running with a flexible, subscription-based offering and features such as free trial and product upgrades. MyCommerce allows SPACES to enter global markets; Digital River handles the back-end complexity of taxes, compliance, fraud, risk, and localization.
Worldpay from FIS enables one-click Google Pay integration for merchants. FIS, a global payments-processing provider, has announced the addition of Google Pay to its hosted payment page offering for online merchants. Merchants can now turn on Google Pay to enable express online checkouts. This integration will allow Google Pay to leverage Worldpay’s footprint, operating cross-border payment processing in 155 countries.
Springbot integrates with Smile.io for customer loyalty. Springbot, a data-driven marketing platform for ecommerce retailers, has announced a new integration with Smile.io, a rewards program provider, that gives Springbot merchants access to customer loyalty data to create customized marketing. Marketers can view those unique marketing campaigns results and segment customers by loyalty status or point balance for further engagement.
Springbot
Sidecar for Amazon launches new features. Sidecar has developed new features for its Sidecar for Amazon service to drive more custom ad campaign structuring and reporting otherwise unavailable on the Amazon ad platform. Retailers can now implement nested ad campaigns, in addition to Amazon’s native campaign structure. Sidecar has also added a reporting enhancement that allows retailers to view how a target type or match type is performing across all ad groups and campaigns.
Namogoo acquires Personali for customer engagement. Namogoo, a platform that prevents customer journey hijacking, has acquired Personali, a company specializing in artificial-intelligence-powered behavioral analytics tools. The acquisition will enable Namogoo to offer a more robust set of services to both new and existing ecommerce clients, with solutions to increase customer engagement, loyalty, and conversions. Namogoo’s client-side platform uses machine learning to prevent unauthorized ads from disrupting (and redirecting) the online customer journey.
Adobe supports Magento Solution Partner developers. Adobe has announced a new service that enables its partners to temporarily allocate their Magento talent to Adobe development projects, including Magento Community Engineering Program initiatives. This initiative will provide Solution Partners with significant funding to re-deploy skilled Magento development resources and lessen the need to furlough or lay off highly-skilled team members due to business disruptions.
Magento Community Engineering Program
