theverge--2020-12-08--WhatsApp’s new carts feature is aimed at simplifying in-app shopping

WhatsApp is introducing a new shopping carts feature that lets you order multiple items with a single message from businesses on the service .
It works in conjunction with the service ’ s existing catalogs feature .
Now , while browsing a business ’ s wares , you can add multiple items to your shopping cart and send the entire order in a single message , replacing the back-and-forth communication that needed to happen previously .
The feature will be available globally starting today .
Shopping might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s become an increasingly popular venue for small businesses around the world to sell their products .
Over 175 million people used the service to message a WhatsApp Business account each day as of late October , the company said .
Businesses manage their WhatsApp presence via the WhatsApp Business app , which had over 50 million users worldwide as of July this year .
WhatsApp ’ s popularity as a shopping service means that the company recently announced that it ’ s investing in new business features .
These include offering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ WhatsApp messages and expanding ways for customers to make purchases right from a chat .
Despite its popularity as a shopping destination , WhatsApp ’ s support for actually making payments in-app is still in its early stages globally , TechCrunch notes .
Although it recently launched its payments feature in India , its rollout in Brazil hit a speed bump when the country ’ s central bank suspended the service soon after its launch .
However , Reuters reports that the president of the country ’ s central bank , Roberto Campos @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them to relaunch peer-to-peer payments “ soon , ” following the launch of Brazil ’ s new state-owned instant payments system .

WhatsApp is introducing a new shopping carts feature that lets you order multiple items with a single message from businesses on the service. It works in conjunction with the service’s existing catalogs feature. Now, while browsing a business’s wares, you can add multiple items to your shopping cart and send the entire order in a single message, replacing the back-and-forth communication that needed to happen previously. The feature will be available globally starting today.
Shopping might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of the Facebook-owned messaging service, but it’s become an increasingly popular venue for small businesses around the world to sell their products. Over 175 million people used the service to message a WhatsApp Business account each day as of late October, the company said. Businesses manage their WhatsApp presence via the WhatsApp Business app, which had over 50 million users worldwide as of July this year.
The new feature lets you order multiple items with a single message. Image: WhatsApp
WhatsApp’s popularity as a shopping service means that the company recently announced that it’s investing in new business features. These include offering hosting services for businesses to manage their WhatsApp messages and expanding ways for customers to make purchases right from a chat.


theverge--2020-12-08--Substack is building a reader app for newsletters

Substack , the hot subscription newsletter startup , is building a reader app to help people manage all of their newsletters in a single place .
That ’ s the word from Substack CEO Chris Best on this week ’ s episode of Decoder , The Verge ’ s new tech and business interview podcast .
“ Something that I really miss is proper reader apps , proper RSS readers .
I think the death of Google Reader was a big , sad thing , ” Best said .
“ Something that we think about a lot is readers tell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ m subscribed to six different Substacks now , and I want to read them all , and it sucks that they ’ re in my email inbox along with all my other stuff , ’ ” Best added .
“ ‘ Wouldn ’ t it be nice if there was one place where I could go and see all of these direct connections that I have , and that I ’ m paying for in many cases ?
’ That ’ s something that we ’ re keenly interested in.
” There ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ called Substack Inbox available for a few weeks now , billed as “ a cozy new space for reading your newsletters.
” Best wouldn ’ t elaborate further , but when asked what was next for Substack , he did say , “ Check out the reader beta when it lands.
” It ’ s clear Substack has plans to do more for writers than just deliver emails and provide a payment system .
You can listen to the entire conversation , which touched on everything from providing legal support for writers to @ @ @ @ @ @

Substack, the hot subscription newsletter startup, is building a reader app to help people manage all of their newsletters in a single place.
That’s the word from Substack CEO Chris Best on this week’s episode of Decoder, The Verge’s new tech and business interview podcast. “Something that I really miss is proper reader apps, proper RSS readers. I think the death of Google Reader was a big, sad thing,” Best said.
“Something that we think about a lot is readers tell us, ‘Hey, I’m subscribed to six different Substacks now, and I want to read them all, and it sucks that they’re in my email inbox along with all my other stuff,’” Best added.
“‘Wouldn’t it be nice if there was one place where I could go and see all of these direct connections that I have, and that I’m paying for in many cases?’ That’s something that we’re keenly interested in.”
There’s been a signup page for something called Substack Inbox available for a few weeks now, billed as “a cozy new space for reading your newsletters.” Best wouldn’t elaborate further, but when asked what was next for Substack, he did say, “Check out the reader beta when it lands.”
It’s clear Substack has plans to do more for writers than just deliver emails and provide a payment system. You can listen to the entire conversation, which touched on everything from providing legal support for writers to content moderation, on Decoder.