Pinterest Unveils 'Buy It' Feature, Lets Users Directly Purchase Stuff Right In The App

Pinterest has unveiled Buyable Pins, that lets users buy products displayed on the social network's mobile app right in the app. The 'Buy it' button is rolling to iOS later this month.

"The thing users have been asking us for a while is the ability to buy," explained Pinterest CEO Ben Silbermann at a company event held at Pinterest's San Francisco headquarters on Tuesday.

The 'Buy It' button will placed beside the 'Pin It' button and selecting 'Buy It' will bring users to an order screen where users can pay via credit card or Apple Play.

Initially, there will be over 2 million products available to be purchased on the social network, including retailers like Macy's, Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom.

Prior to 'Buy It' button, the only way to purchase a stuff on Pinterest was to click on a link that shuttled users outside the social network to the retailer's web site.

The announcement comes as the company gets more serious about monetization. Last year, it announced 'Promoted Pins,' its first major ad product.

Earlier this year, the company raised more than $500 million in the latest round of funding to fuel global expansion.