Facebook's Messenger app is not even close to where Mark Zuckerberg would like it. The vision is to transform Messenger from a pure communications tool into an e-commerce platform not unlike what Asian competitors Line and WeChat have pulled off.
A potential first step in that direction could be an integration with car-hailing service Uber.
Zuckerberg has held private talks with Uber chief Travis Kalanick about doing just that according to sources familiar with the matter as reported by Re/code. At least one source noted the whole idea is very conceptual at this stage and nowhere near execution
Both Facebook and Uber declined to comment on the subject.
Integrating Uber with Facebook could make a lot of sense for both companies. For Uber, it would expose the service to far more potential customers. Back in April, Zuckerberg revealed that Messenger had 200 million monthly users.
Facebook, meanwhile, would be one step closer to making Messenger a well-rounded app with more than just communication to offer. They'd also get more credit card numbers on file which could be useful for future endeavors.
The only potential hiccup would be what to do with Uber's own mobile app. Those that already use it would likely continue to do so while newcomers may be confused at whether or not they should use the standalone app or the one integrated in Mesenger.
