Snapchat may include mobile payments after filing new trademarks

Reeling from its growing popularity, ephemeral photo-sharing app Snapchat might broaden its horizons by allowing mobile payments. Users might soon be able to to share money with friends, though we hope they don’t disappear just like the photos.

Two trademarks filed by Snapchat’s lawyers could mean that the company will include app payments in the future. The trademarks, which were discovered by  TechCrunch , suggest Snapchat wants to start accepting, processing and transferring payments between users.

The description of the first trademark is for “Computer application software for processing electronic payments to and from others that may be downloaded from a global computer network,” and the second is for “Electronic transfer of money for others; providing electronic processing of electronic funds transfer, ACH, credit card, debit card, electronic check and electronic, mobile and online payments.” Snapchat has not disclosed how it plans to implement these trademarks.

The trademarks could be used in different ways, depending on how Snapchat wants to monetise without putting users off. It could allow users to shop from the brands that advertise with them, or allow sending payments to each other along with photos and videos. In-app purchases for filters or stickers are also likely.

Snapchat isn’t the only one planning to get you to shop from its app. Facebook recently hired PayPal President David Marcus to head up its Messenger division. It also revealed that it was testing a mobile payments service that lets users make purchases inside mobile applications using payment information they have added to their account on the social network.