What Is Social Commerce And Why Does It Matter For Modern Businesses?

Today, a product can go from a short video to a completed transaction on platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and WhatsApp without the customer ever leaving the app. This trend, called social commerce (s-commerce), is bridging the gap between social media and online shopping and redefining how businesses expand globally.

What is social commerce?

Social commerce is the process of selling products and services directly within social media and messaging platforms. Unlike the traditional journey that takes a user from the ad on a social media platform to the website for checkout, s-commerce compresses the entire experience into a single environment. A customer can discover a product, engage with the content, and complete a purchase all within the platform.

On average, people spend 2 hours and 21 minutes per day on social media. TikTok is the most used social media platform, followed by Facebook and YouTube.

By taking commerce to where customers already spend time, businesses can naturally remove friction and turn social platforms into global sales channels rather than just marketing tools.

Social commerce vs e-commerce

E-commerce broadly refers to buying and selling goods online. Customers typically follow a linear journey where they search for a product, visit the website, app, or marketplace, browse, and then proceed to checkout.

S-commerce is a subset of e-commerce that occurs directly within social media platforms. A product appears organically in a user’s feed, and they can instantly purchase it without leaving the platform. It’s a more interactive, community-driven approach to shopping, where product discovery, reviews, and purchases all happen in one place.

What are the major social commerce platforms?

The following platforms are turning social environments into full-scale commerce channels worldwide.

• TikTok: One of the fastest-growing social commerce platforms, TikTok features like in-feed video shopping, product tabs, and TikTok LIVE enable seamless, real-time purchases
• Facebook: One of the largest e-commerce ecosystems, Facebook Shops allows businesses to create custom storefronts, highlight collections, and sync products from their e-commerce platforms
• Instagram: A visual-first platform, Instagram Shops let users explore, save, and buy products without leaving the app
• Pinterest: A discovery-led platform, Pinterest enables brands to utilise product pins with a direct “buy now” option and integrated checkout
• WhatsApp: In emerging markets, WhatsApp enable direct, conversational commerce through chat and business accounts
• YouTube: It integrates shopping directly into video content, turning creators into sales channels.

Why is social commerce growing?

The social commerce market, valued at 2.11 trillion USD in 2026, is expected to surpass 7.55 trillion USD in 2031.

Social commerce is growing rapidly because it meets people where they already are and removes the friction that traditionally slows transactions down. Here’s how.

1. The average consumer spends 141 minutes a day on social platforms. With s-commerce, businesses no longer have to pull users to external sites; they can let them browse products and complete purchases within the app.
2. Traditionally, e-commerce relied on intent (users searching for products). S-commerce flips this model by enabling users to discover products passively through feeds, creators, and recommendations, increasing impulse purchases and expanding demand beyond active shoppers.
3. Consumers increasingly rely on influencer recommendations, reviews, and user-generated content to make buying decisions. S-commerce brings awareness checkout under the same roof, reducing drop-off and improving conversion rates.
4. Social commerce is designed for mobile from the ground up, which matches how most users browse and shop today. It allows businesses to engage with customers in real time, build trust through content and interactions, and create a more seamless and interactive buying experience.
5. A single post can generate demand across multiple regions simultaneously. Meaning,  businesses now get immediate access to international audiences without establishing a physical presence to test new markets.
6. Social platforms are evolving into full-commerce ecosystems equipped with features such as in-app checkout, integrated storefronts, and creator monetisation tools. This accelerates adoption and normalises buying within social environments.

Where is social commerce most popular?

Social commerce is gaining traction globally, but certain regions have embraced it more fervently than others.

1. Asia-Pacific

Countries like China, Thailand, Indonesia, and India have seen explosive growth in social commerce. In Thailand, around 9 in 10 consumers make purchases through social networks.

China’s social commerce scene is led by platforms such as ByteDance’s Douyin and Xiaohongshu, with popular brands filtering into consumer algorithms to boost discovery.

2. Latin America

Some of the highest shares of social buyers are in countries such as Brazil, Colombia, and Peru. In 2024, 57% of online consumers in Peru made purchases through social media.

The trend is driven by factors such as the heavy use of messaging platforms for commerce (especially chat-based selling), limited traditional e-commerce infrastructure, and strong reliance on trust-based, community-driven buying.

3. Europe

Countries like the United Kingdom, Germany, and France are gradually adopting s-commerce, but engagement is lower than in Asia. This is due to higher consumer caution around in-app purchases, fragmented payment systems, and regulatory environments.

However, platforms like TikTok and Facebook are continually enhancing their shopping features, making it easier for brands to showcase their products and for consumers to shop. As more brands tap into the potential of social commerce, its popularity is expected to grow significantly across Europe.

How is social commerce influencing payments?

The rise of social commerce is not only changing the way consumers shop but also how they pay for their purchases.

• In-app payments: Social media platforms are increasingly integrating payment options directly into their apps, allowing users to complete transactions without being redirected to external sites. Such integrations create a seamless shopping experience, reduce friction, and increase conversion.
• Local payment options: While social commerce helps create global demand, customers won’t convert unless they get to pay locally. Consequently, social commerce platforms are increasingly supporting region-specific payment methods, multiple currencies, and familiar checkout experiences.
• Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) options: Consumers increasingly prefer flexible payment options that let them manage their spending while enjoying the convenience of shopping on social media.
• Alternative payment options: The need for the right payment options (digital wallets, credit cards, and cash) and flexible ways to pay (pay-by-link, subscription payments, and instalments) is becoming a baseline expectation.

How can merchants optimise their payment experience for s-commerce?

Social commerce is reshaping how consumers discover and purchase products, and payments play a crucial role in creating a seamless shopping experience. For merchants looking to tap into the growing trend, optimising the payment journey is essential. Here are three tips for merchant success from Unlimit’s CEO of Global Payments, Irene Skrynova.

#1 Meet customers where they are

Fintech innovations make it easier for businesses to reach global audiences through social platforms. However, to truly connect with these consumers, merchants should offer payment experiences that feel local, no matter where the buyer is located.

To achieve this, businesses can:

• Offer region-specific payment options, such as Pix in Brazil, UPI in India, and SPEI in Mexico
• Display prices and accept payment in local currencies
• Provide flexible payment options like instalments or subscriptions.

#2 Build trust with seamless in-app payments

Payment institutions, like card issuers, networks, and payment facilitators, are shaping the future of social commerce by enhancing in-app payment capabilities. Given that most social media engagement happens on mobile devices, the checkout experience should be smooth and intuitive.

Features like digital wallets, one-click payments, and auto-filled details make transactions fast, boosting conversions and repeat purchases.

#3 Embrace a wide range of payment options

Today’s consumers want flexibility. Beyond traditional cards, they expect to pay with digital wallets, BNPL solutions, and even emerging options like digital currencies. To meet the demand, social platforms are increasingly partnering with payment providers to offer diverse, embedded payment experiences.

By embracing these trends, merchants can not only improve the customer experience but also unlock new revenue opportunities across global markets.

Ready to elevate your social commerce payments?

Social commerce is becoming the default way people discover and buy, enabling businesses to generate demand globally in real time. However, capturing that demand is challenging due to local payment options, currencies, and regulations that create friction at checkout.

As the global financial infrastructure for the borderless agentic economy, Unlimit provides a single, programmable layer to accept, process, and settle payments across markets. By integrating hyper-local payment ecosystems directly into its architecture, Unlimit removes the operational complexity of global expansion, enabling businesses to scale without limits.

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