Twitter rolls out donate button for political campaigns

Twitter on Tuesday made it easier for political campaigns to raise money by creating a way for supporters to donate directly through a tweet.

The social media company announced a partnership with Square, a mobile payment company, that allows candidates to set up an account and tweet a link to their followers with a large “contribute” button.

{mosads}The button allows mobile users to enter their credit card and identifying information to donate, then return to their place in their Twitter timeline.

“By partnering with Square to enable donations through Tweets, and as the 2016 election season heats up, we’ve upgraded these tools through which citizens can raise their voices to champion causes and candidates they support,” the company announced in a blog. 

We’ve teamed up with @Square to power political donations to US candidates through a Tweet: https://t.co/tOxZ9RjBie pic.twitter.com/O9ruTcYGXw

— Twitter Government (@gov) September 15, 2015

Twitter has attempted to ramp up its outreach to political campaigns in the 2016 elections with ad sales and other offerings. The social media site is used by about a quarter of online adults in the U.S., according to Pew Research.

The company has touted itself for the hub of political conversation. Its campaign offerings have come in the form of promoted tweets and hashtags, while also allowing campaigns and other advertisers to target their message to specific audiences.

“It’s what voters learn and share in these conversations that routinely motivates political action. That’s why we’re making it easier for Twitter users to actively support candidates and causes,” the company wrote.