Facebook publishes payment function, attaches more importance to its message ecological chain

"Sadie Network News" according to foreign media reports, Facebook finally posted on its mobile messaging platform payment function. Facebook's offer of payment on messenger rather than WhatsApp seems to indicate that it will focus more on the future of mobile communications with its branded messaging platform.

This means that, in the long term, Facebook may "translate" WhatsApp users into Facebook or Facebook Messenger users, through a single mobile messaging platform with micro-letters, line, Viber, and Kik, Snapchat and Tango are competing for message platforms.

In the long run, Peer-to-peer transfers are just the first step in creating a mobile eco-chain in Facebook. Over time, we will find that Facebook will gradually launch other mobile services through strategic partnerships or acquisitions.

For a long time, the author believes that Facebook needs a clear mobile messaging strategy, and that it is not only confusing to have WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger two mobile messaging applications at the same time, It is also not appropriate to see a company with two competing messaging applications from the point of view of resource allocation.

Facebook's offer of payment in Facebook Messenger, not WhatsApp, is a clear sign that Facebook Messenger is the leading mobile communications platform for Facebook, To further boost Facebook penetration, WhatsApp users will eventually be migrated to the Facebook Messenger platform. This suggests that Facebook's acquisition of WhatsApp was aimed solely at users, in response to the "attack" of Asia's mobile-communications peers.

When it comes to acquiring WhatsApp, it is clear that Facebook is lagging behind the industry in the area of mobile communications and social networking, and Facebook's involvement in mobile communications is crucial. The acquisition of WhatsApp has enabled Facebook to gain the user base and time needed to counter threats from Asia, proving that Facebook is justified in paying WhatsApp a high price of about $42 per user.

Establish a mobile ecological chain

While Peer-to-peer transfer services are a good start, it does not give Facebook a major benefit because Facebook does not receive any revenue or commission from the transfer service. However, it may work with Starbucks, Priceline, mobile operators, Yelp, cinemas, Uber and other companies to create a comprehensive ecological chain. All of the above services enable users to complete transactions on their mobile devices, especially through mobile communications applications.

Micro-mail and line already offer Peer-to-peer transfer capabilities, and Facebook should not have any difficulty developing a strong payment/service platform for users. With a service provider, Facebook can leverage its network effects and user stickiness to negotiate commission matters with service providers. The revenue from these deals may be considerable, especially if Facebook launches a recommendation engine on its mobile messaging platform.

While the author acknowledges that privacy will be a problem, providing users with the option to broadcast their payment activities is also critical to ensuring a good user experience. Once Facebook integrates the transfer service in its mobile app, it is theoretically possible for users to do all the daily (or most) deals through Facebook Messenger, weakening the appeal of other payment services such as Apple Pay.

Conclusion

After publishing the transfer function for its messages, the author still looks at Facebook because it is a clear signal that Facebook is attaching more and more importance to its message eco-chain.