Paytm introduces chat feature that allows users to get discounts

NEW DELHI: Indians love bargaining with shopkeepers, and they can now do that online as well. One97 Communications' paytm.com mobile commerce site has introduced a chat feature that allows users to bargain live with vendors selling their products on the platform.

Paytm, a new entrant into online retailing, expects the feature and growing smartphone usage to help drive traffic onto its website in a crowded market ruled by companies like Flipkart and Jabong.

One97 chairman and managing director Vijay Shekhar Sharma said the chat feature, called Bargain, has been embedded into the Paytm app. "If a buyer is looking for a different colour, better deal, more discount or some freebies, he can tap on the Bargain feature and begin a live conversation with the vendor of that brand," he told ET.