Amazon’s physical Dash buttons have officially made the leap to the digital realm, appearing on the front screen of the Amazon app and on Amazon’s home page on the web. Dash buttons are a quick and convenient way to order goods that you frequently get from the e-commerce giant without having to open a laptop or pull out your smartphone, but virtual versions promise their own unique set of convenient benefits. The new option automatically generates Dash buttons for things that users get from Amazon on a frequent, repeated basis, but Prime members can also create their own Dash buttons. The virtual buttons, unlike the physical ones, are free to use and accessible anywhere you can get yourself in front of a computer or phone with an internet connection.
While it may seem counter-intuitive to have the buttons on the site and the app, where somebody is likely already doing some shopping, the buttons can make resupplying quick and easy, letting a user get on with the rest of their shopping spree, or even serve as a reminder for customers who may have forgotten something that they need to replenish. The new virtual Dash buttons could also serve as a great alternative to the automatic billing of subscription services on items for customers who want some control over when they resupply. Reports of the buttons started hitting the web on Thursday night. The buttons also have their own page, where a user can manage the virtual Dash buttons that they have handy, adding and subtracting buttons as they see fit. As with physical Dash buttons, of course, only select products that participate in Amazon Prime’s two day shipping are eligible to be added for quick shopping.
Some may speculate that the creation of these virtual buttons is due to the expiration of a patent related to the physical Dash buttons, but an Amazon spokesperson disputed that statement. They asserted instead that the decision to create the virtual Dash buttons sprung from the sheer popularity of the physical buttons, and the notion that the user count for the Dash system would grow significantly if there was a free option that was conveniently accessible inside and outside of the home.