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Facebook announced Wednesday that it’s partnering with Uber on a new transportation platform within the app. That means that when you’re done chatting with friends or using the app to shop, you can also use it to hail a ride.
The integration has been a long time coming. Re/code first reported the two sides were in talks in the summer of 2014, and a more recent update to the app expanding on location sharing and searching, essentially setting the stage for an Uber-like integration.
Messenger’s product lead Stan Chudnovsky hinted at a possible integration at the time. “If it’s a restaurant [I’m traveling to], maybe there’s a reservation I want to make,” he said. “Or maybe it’s how I’m going to be getting there.”
Facebook has been building out its business offerings within Messenger for the better part of the past year. The idea is to make the app a ons-stop-shop for all kinds of daily tasks, from sending money to shopping to making a dinner reservation. Now it’s added transportation to the mix.
One interesting element: you can actually request a ride, track your driver, and pay for that ride all within Messenger. In other words, you don’t actually need to download the Uber app to get an Uber ride. (You do, though, need an Uber account which you can create within Messenger.)
It’s unclear whether Facebook is taking a cut of any sales here. A company spokesperson declined to comment on the details of the partnership. For now, it’s rolling out slowly to “select users in the locations where Uber operates in the United States,” according to Facebook’s blog post.
More partners — perhaps Lyft? — will be “available soon.”
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