Facebook Adds Mobile-Pay Tool for Developers

Facebook added software tools to make it easier for developers on its system to accept payments made from mobile devices.

It is the latest step Facebook has taken to make its payment system a more mature and viable option for software developers. In June, Facebook began phasing out its virtual "Credits" currency to instead allow developers to set prices in local currencies. Developers such as Zynga, the company behind the popular Farmville game, accept payments from users that play their games at Facebook's social networking site.

Facebook is also gradually applying for and receiving money transmitter licenses across the United States. Facebook had at least 15 such licenses by February, which is when it disclosed in an S-1 filing that it generated $557 million, or 15% of its revenue, last year from payments.

Facebook's new Mobile Shortcut tool allows developers to "provide a customized mobile payment flow that simplifies the user experience for purchasing with a mobile device and improves conversion," Shireesh Asthana, a Facebook platform engineer, wrote on the company's blog this week.

"Instead of offering virtual currency price points that may not be supported on mobile, use this feature to find out what mobile price points are available for users based on their country and offer those as purchase options in your game," Asthana wrote. "Once users make a selection, you can show a mobile-only pay dialog to confirm the purchase, eliminating other payment options from the dialog."