Amazon Launches Text Message Shopping

April 2, 2008 8:59 a.m. EST

Seattle, WA (AHN) - Internet retailer Amazon announced Tuesday a service letting consumers search or buy products by cell phone. Amazon TextBuyIt allows mobile phone users to text a product's UPC or ISBN and know whether they can buy the item from Amazon, rather than a brick-and-mortal store.

To use the service, a person sends the information to 262966. Amazon responds with corresponding items available from the online store. To purchase the item, a user simply responds with "1" or "2" in a text message.

Amazon mobile payments director Howard Gefen told the AP Internet shoppers will use the new service "wherever they happen to be."