They told me to checkout on WeChat — I was confused, I hadn’t ever left the “social media app” but could do a payment. That was 5 years ago when I was in Shanghai for the first time. Fast forward and every American social media has been trying to figure out how to make their platform a shoppable. Instagram checkout is the first native feature that feels like it’s going to work.
What is Instagram Checkout
Instagram checkout is an on platform checkout system that allows users to make purchases without leaving the app. It is super valuable because it allows for commerce to happen on platform, diversifying Instagram’s revenue stream from ads to include transaction fees.
How to set up instagram checkout
To enable Instagram checkout you’ll have a Business Instagram account, be commerce eligible, and connect a catalog to the account.
Any Instagram account can set up a free Instagram Business account. This allows you to connect you Facebook Ad Account with your Instagram Account.
To be commerce eligible you’ll need to be reviewed by Facebook for:
- Comply with our policies
- Represent your business and your domain
- Be located in a supported market
- Demonstrate trustworthiness
There are two ways to create a catalog:
- Create a catalog – https://www.facebook.com/products
- Use an ecommerce partner like Shopify – https://help.instagram.com/523348558156174
List of Ecommerce Partners for Instagram Checkout
Woocommerce – https://woocommerce.com/products/facebook/
BigCommerce – https://www.bigcommerce.com/blog/instagram-checkout/
Shopify – https://www.shopify.com/instagram
Instagram Checkout Fees
The selling fee is 5% per shipment, or a flat fee of $0.40 for shipments of $8.00 or less. You keep the rest of your earnings. Read more about Instagram Checkout Fees here.
