We love Pinterest for collecting ideas, but actually trying to buy the stuff we pin is a huge pain. The way Pinterest works now, you've got to click through to the retailer's website and then follow its checkout process. It's time-consuming, clunky, and disrupts all that "pinning Zen" you had going on. But very soon, Pinterest will unveil a "Buy it" button that will let you make purchases straight from its app.
Here's how it will work: When you search and pin items, anything with a blue price tag will be called a "Buyable pin." You can tap and buy it with either Apple Pay or a credit card (which the app can then store for the future purchases), or you can add it to a wish list. Then, you can keep pinning as usual. Pinterest isn't taking a cut of the transactions — at least for now — so what you buy in its app is the same price as what you'd get from the retailer.
If you're mostly a pinner of crafts, recipes, and design inspiration, the new feature won't help you too much (although recipe hoarders will be able to buy ingredients for those dazzling tarts or savory salads further in the future). If you pin fashion inspiration or gift ideas, however, you're set. You'll also have the option of searching for things on Pinterest by price — say, if you're on the hunt for a more affordable version of a designer blouse you've pinned. Companies such as Macy’s, Neiman Marcus, and Nordstrom are currently on board with buyable pins, as are thousands of Shopify stores. (Interested business owners can find out more information here.)
iOS users will get buyable pins over the next few weeks; Android and desktop users will see the change in a future update, Pinterest says.
We're pretty excited about mobile shopping on Pinterest. Our wallets, however, are not.
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