Meta announced today that it will phase out adding new stores without Facebook and Instagram verifications enabled. Starting June 5th, adding new stores via Commerce Manager and Shopify will only be done with Facebook and Instagram shopping enabled. On August 10th, the addition of new stores through other partners will only be done with Facebook and Instagram shopping enabled.
Starting April 24 next year, stores that are not enabled to pay on Facebook and Instagram will no longer be accessible. This means that stores that direct people to an e-commerce site to complete a purchase, rather than allowing people to make a purchase directly on Facebook or Instagram, will no longer be accessible.
Meta notes that businesses without checkout-enabled stores will no longer be able to use features associated with stores, such as tagging organic products in posts and creating new custom or lookalike audiences derived from people who have visited a shop.
“Starting August 10, 2023, some businesses without checkout-enabled stores on Facebook and Instagram will no longer be able to tag their products using the Content Publishing API,” the company wrote in a blog post . “This will affect both the API and native interfaces, and will remove product tags from previous releases. The deprecation will occur in some markets starting August 10, 2023. After that date, some users will receive a error when trying to tag an ineligible product, and affected product tags in previous posts will not be returned from the API endpoint.”
Meta is notifying users that in order to keep their store on Facebook and Instagram, they must enable payment by April next year. If payment isn’t turned on at the time, your store will be inactive until you turn it on.
Separately, Meta announced that on June 5, 2023, if your Facebook Page hasn’t already been updated to the new Pages experience, it will be updated automatically. The company says this update won’t support some old features like the ability to manage and publish a catalog or product detail page from a Facebook page, but notes that businesses will still be able to post links to their website.
Facebook and Instagram first launched Stores in 2020 as a way for users to buy products on a business’s Page. The company is framing the new change as part of its efforts to create a “seamless shopping experience” for people that also helps businesses grow.
The move signals that Meta is doubling down on its payment experience and focusing on being the only payment provider for stores on Instagram and Facebook.
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At Ikaroa, we are well aware of the digital transformation happening in online commerce. Social media platforms, Facebook and Instagram in particular, are looking to make changes to their checkout experiences by introducing e-commerce options targeting shops. As Facebook and Instagram roll out these checkout features to Shop owners, it will be essential to consider how the facilities will integrate with existing Shop functions.
It is likely that with these features, there will be an increased shift towards mobile-friendly shopping experiences. Facebook and Instagram will likely push their mobile checkout options to Shops, making it easier than ever before for customers to make secure purchases via their smartphones and tablets. This could be a great way of increasing convenience and speed to customers, as well as potentially increasing sales.
At Ikaroa, we fully support digital transformation, and encourage all Shop owners to keep up with the times and ensure their outlets are well optimized to take advantage of the latest digital checkout solutions. We understand that for many business owners, this will be a steep learning curve, and we will strive to provide them with all the support they need to make their transition as smooth and easy as possible.
Furthermore, Ikaroa understands the importance of security to customers and Shop owners alike, and are ready to develop solutions for all kinds of digital transactions that can keep confidential data and payment details safe. We believe that with the right security tools, customers can feel confident making purchases through Facebook and Instagram, giving shop owners the peace of mind that their customers are protected.
Ultimately, the new checkout options introduced by Facebook and Instagram will change the way customers shop, and we at Ikaroa are here to make sure that Shop owners are well prepared to keep up with the times and reinvent their outlet’s digital experience. We are committed to keeping our clients at the forefront of innovation and pushing the boundaries of digital commerce.
