Microsoft launches Teams Payments app for small businesses

SAN FRANCISCO: Microsoft has launched a new Payments app, which will allow small businesses to easily manage and collect payments from within Teams on their desktop or mobile device during a meeting.

The app will be initially available for users in the US and Canada.

For instance, a lawyer or financial advisor can collect payments for consultative appointments, a real estate instructor can do the same for license-renewal sessions, or a teacher for tutoring classes.

Moreover, the company said that it has partnered with some of the largest players in the payments space to combine the core collaboration capabilities in Teams with powerful commerce features.

"With a mutual focus on helping small businesses prosper, we are excited to partner with GoDaddy, PayPal, and Stripe to help you increase your revenue and make it even easier for customers to interact with you," Microsoft said in a blogpost.

The app is available in public preview in the Teams Store for Teams Essentials and Microsoft 365 business subscribers at no charge.

Stripe and PayPal are both now available within the app, while GoDaddy Payments is coming soon, Microsoft said.

Meanwhile, Microsoft has announced the integration of Snapchat Lenses in Teams to make the virtual meet more expressive, which will be available to users globally starting this week.

"A collection of 20 plus of the most popular Snapchat Lenses are available to Teams customers globally, giving you more ways to express yourself, build relationships and let your meetings shine," Microsoft said in a blogpost.