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Facebook Challenges Bitcoin? Payment Icon Added To Desktop Users

Last Updated March 4, 2021 4:44 PM
Justin OConnell
Last Updated March 4, 2021 4:44 PM

Facebook has continued unveiling its Facebook payments platform, adding the desktop option on Wednesday for many users. CCN.com reported in March how the social media website had introduced payments on its messenger application, and it seems that today it has rolled out a Facebook chat payment integration for desktop.

In March, Facebook announced  the introduction of a feature in Messenger enabling users to send and receive money. In order to use this service, you must link a Visa or MasterCard issued by a US Bank. Once a debit card is added, you create a PIN. As CCN.com has detailed:

To send money:

  • Start a message with a friend
  • Tap the $ icon and enter the amount you want to send
  • Tap Pay in the top right and add your debit card to send money

To receive money:

  • Open the conversation from your friend
  • Tap Add Card in the message and add your debit card to accept money for the first time.

The transfers could take between 1-3 days depending on your bank. This payment feature has been rolled out in recent months in the US across Android, iOS, and, it appears most recently, desktops.

facebook_payments_desktop
Facebook adds payments to desktop.

Thus far, there has been no comment from Facebook if, in the future, other payment options will be made available, such as Bitcoin. Facebook could also introduce its own virtual currency in competition with technologies like Bitcoin. Many have asked the question of whether or not Facebook intends to shortly accept Bitcoin, as many other major websites have, but the truth is nobody really knows if this is in the cards for Facebook.

The social media website also owns What’sApp and Instagram, which could also benefit from the use of micropayments. There is an obvious connection between Facebook and Bitcoin: the Winklevoss twins. As CCN.com wrote:

On the other hand, Zuckerberg has always been interested in what the Winklevoss twins were up to. It is not secret that these entrepreneurs have heavily invested in Bitcoin. That will have sparked Zuckerberg’s interest. He will have thought about the concept already, and he may be waiting for the right moment to implement it.

What do you think Facebook plans for its payments feature? Will it adopt Bitcoin?