The logo of messaging app Snapchat is seen at a booth at TechFair LA, a technology job fair, in Los Angeles, California, US, January 26, 2017. Photo: Reuters

 

Snap Inc?s Snapchat on Tuesday introduced ?context cards?, a new feature that will allow users to book an Uber ride or reserve a seat at a restaurant without leaving the messaging app.

The new feature is aimed at increasing the time a user spends on the app by providing contextual location-based search, potentially helping the company to get more advertising dollars.

Snapchat, popular with young people for applying bunny faces or other filters to their pictures, competes for ad dollars with the likes of Facebook Inc?s Instagram.

The new cards allow users viewing stories to swipe up and get relevant information about a business such as reviews, directions or contact information, the company said in a blog post. 

Similarly to Yelp, which allows users to search nearby businesses, Snap may be able to charge businesses to feature on cards, Wedbush Securities analyst Michael Pachter said.

Initial partners include TripAdvisor, Foursquare, Michelin, OpenTable and Bookatable but the company has not disclosed how it plans to make money from the new feature.