Amazon Dash Button Launches For Instant Digital Purchases

To make the buying process easier — whether it’s for regular household items or impulse buys — Amazon has already introduced features like 1-Click purchases and Dash Buttons. Now, the digital retailer has made the process even shorter. Amazon introduced Thursday digital versions of its Dash Buttons through its website and the Amazon app.

Dash Buttons are one-click buttons that automatically order products you regularly purchase from Amazon. These can include items like soft drinks, household supplies or personal care products such as chapstick or soap.

The digital Dash Buttons are free and physical Dash Buttons can be purchased for $4.99, but Amazon looks to have both products working alongside one another. Via Recode, Amazon said the introduction of the digital dash buttons was not tied to the upcoming expiration of Amazon’s patent for one-click purchases.

The move, while relatively tiny in scale, is one of several ways the company has expanded its purchase influence scope for Amazon users. Last year, Amazon introduced Amazon Dash Replacement, a service that can have a device automatically order products like printer ink or laundry detergent when its supply is running low.

The expansion of Amazon’s Alexa smart home assistant has similar goals. The voice service, which can also streamline the purchase process, has been popularized through accessories like the Echo and Echo Dot. At CES 2017, one of the biggest trends was third-party smart home devices with featured Alexa integration.