Tencent allows WeChat account owners to open 'micro shops'

Tencent has made a further step into the mobile shopping sector after it started to allow WeChat official account owners to open shops on the popular smartphone chat software.

Tencent said there's no threshold for individual vendors who already own a verified WeChat account and hope to sell general merchandise to WeChat users.

It helps account owners connect with online shoppers easily and without the need for much technical expertise.

WeChat official account holders will be able to open a "micro shop" through a self-serve platform.

WeChat started to offer payment service through Tencent's payment arm Tenpay at the end of last year to tap growing demand for small payments on mobile devices.

Tencent's competition with Alibaba spread from mobile payment to mobile shopping in recent months as both companies are eager to get a foothold in the fast changing Internet era.