Visa App Lets Friends Share Shopping Advice

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A lot of e-commerce marketers are trying to make shopping more "social" these days, and now Visa's gotten into the game. The payments technology giant on Monday unveiled a plug-in called Rightcliq that lets shoppers involve their friends via Facebook and e-mail when it comes to purchase decisions.

Consumers can download the plug-in and use the system on any site. Companies can work with Visa to incorporate the delivery of special offers as part of the plug-in experience. Barnes & Noble, Drugstore.com, JCPenney.com, Kmart.com, and 1-800 Flowers are notable partners that have implemented the plug-in with special offers, according to the San Francisco-based Visa.

When shoppers add an item to the system's key feature, called Wishspace, a window pops up and asks them if they want to get advice from friends. From there, they can enter an e-mail address or post their requests on Facebook. In the case of e-mail, the advice requests get delivered to friends' inboxes. When Rightcliq users seek friendly shopping guidance via Facebook, the item gets posted on their wall. From there, friends can link back to the Rightcliq page and share their advice. The system also allows users to save their credit card information - for both Visa and MasterCard, in their Rightcliq accounts in order to expedite checkout on retail sites.

By mid-August, a Visa spokesperson said the company would be running a digital campaign to create awareness among consumers. Video and flash banners will be targeted towards sites frequented by young, tech-savvy consumers and shopping enthusiasts, the spokesperson said.

For instance, a homepage takeover ad is scheduled to appear on fashion site Stylehunter.com. In another example, the Rightcliq service will appear in banners on WhoWhatWear.com and feature that fashion site's founders, Katherine Power and Hillary Kerr. The Power-and-Kerr pairing will appear in ads on other sites as well.

"The video content focuses on how they collect items across the web, organize their favorites, and get advice from their friends and co-workers," the spokesperson wrote in an e-mail to ClickZ. "Each execution features items that are relevant to the specific target. I.e. for Tech, we have electronics."

Visa will also run contests on niche publisher sites, such as BoingBoing.net, Pitchfork.com, and Gizmodo.com. Winners will be awarded Visa gift cards and items currently in their Wishspace.

On the social media front, the spokesperson suggested that Visa would reach out to various bloggers and other shopping-based communities. "We also are running custom programs and promotions that will be promoted within social media," the spokesperson said.