Amazon is beta testing a new AI-powered feature, ‘Buy for Me.’ The feature allows customers to buy products from external retailers without leaving the Amazon Shopping app. The company says ‘Buy For Me’ enables Amazon to make purchases on behalf of shoppers from third-party websites using its agent AI.

This update builds on an earlier feature Amazon started testing in February. That version displayed external retailers’ listings alongside Amazon’s own, directing shoppers to complete their purchases on third-party brand websites. Now, the e-commerce company is handling the entire checkout process through its app. 

U.S. brands can now sell through Amazon’s ‘Buy for Me’ feature, which lets users request purchases without leaving the app. Instead of directing shoppers to other brands' websites, the 'Buy for Me' button does the work for shoppers. Shoppers can request that Amazon handle the purchase process for them using this feature.

Amazon says ‘Buy for Me’ is currently available to a limited number of customers in the U.S. on both iOS and Android. It plans to expand to more users and brands over time.

Will Amazon charge a fee for purchases made through the ‘Buy for Me’ button?

The Verge reports that Amazon isn’t charging any extra fees or taking a share of the money from purchases made through this feature. The “Buy for Me” button is rather focused on helping users, says Lara Hendrickson, Amazon Spokesperson. “Right now, this is an experiment, and we’re trying to help customers find more products, and once they find the right product, we’re trying to help them make more seamless purchases,” Hendrickson said.

How ‘Buy for Me’ works

When customers search for products in the Amazon Shopping app, they’ll see results from Amazon’s store, third-party sellers, and a section labeled "Shop brand sites directly." Some products in this section will display a ‘Buy for Me’ option instead of a direct link to the brand’s website.

If a shopper selects an item with the Buy for Me option, they’ll be taken to a product detail page within Amazon’s app. Here, they can view product specifications, images, and pricing. If they choose to proceed, they tap the ‘Buy for Me’ button, which triggers Amazon to purchase the item directly from the brand’s website.

Amazon uses its Nova AI models to complete the purchase. The company claims it will provide encrypted payment details, the shopper’s address, and other necessary information to the brand’s website. 

Once the order is placed, customers will receive an order confirmation from the brand store and can track their purchases within the Buy for Me Orders tab in the Amazon Shopping app. However, customer service, shipping, and returns will be handled by the brand retailer.

According to the e-commerce platform, participating brands have control over whether they want to be part of the program.

Why Amazon is expanding its reach beyond its marketplace

Amazon is testing new ways to keep users engaged in its app while still enabling purchases elsewhere. The company is aiming to rival companies working to simplify third-party e-commerce transactions.

Google, for example, allows shoppers to check out directly on participating merchants’ websites through Google Shopping’s interface, while Shopify’s Shop app centralizes order tracking for purchases across different brands. However, Amazon’s approach is different. It’s not just facilitating transactions but placing itself in the middle of the purchasing process.

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