Facebook, owner of the world's largest social network, said it's testing a feature that will let users shop directly from its website. People on desktop computers or mobile devices can click a "Buy" button to make purchases through advertisements or other posts on Facebook's site, the Menlo Park, California-based company said in a blog post. The service is being tested with a few small and medium-sized businesses in the US Facebook, which has more than 1.2 billion users, has been pushing into new businesses to bolster advertising revenue. The company is trying to keep pace with rivals Twitter and Google by adding tools for marketers.

“We’ve built this feature with privacy in mind, and have taken steps to help make the payment experience safe and secure,” Facebook said in the blog post. Users’ credit- or debit-card information won’t be shared with other advertisers, Facebook said.

- Bloomberg