Mashable, Visa mix it up for e-commerce

Digital media company Mashable and Visa are doing a little mashing of their own to launch a new online retail entity.

The two companies have launched the Mashable Shop, an e-commerce storefront accessible via the Mashable media site. Mashable Shop offers both original apparel and accessories, as well curated technology products and select merchandise from Williams-Sonoma. The Visa Checkout online payment service will be the exclusive form of payment.

“Visa Checkout and the Mashable Shop are the perfect pairing this holiday season – giving the Mashable community the ability to pay for the ‘most-wanted’ gifts in two clicks or less,” said Sam Shrauger, senior VP, digital solutions, Visa. “Not only are we offering Mashable readers a fast, easy way to shop and pay for gifts they love, the shop gives Visa’s merchant partners a new digital platform to showcase great holiday gifts this season.”

Visa has partnered with a wide variety of retailers, as well as media platforms such as Pinterest, to offer Visa Checkout as a payment option. However, making Visa Checkout as an exclusive means if payment is a new development that would seem to favor Visa while putting Mashable Shop at a disadvantage.

Presumably, the partnership includes favorable financial terms, and possibly other perks, that make only accepting Visa Checkout a worthwhile endeavor. While Mashable Shop is a small e-commerce entity, if this arrangement proves successful, look for other online and mobile payment services to also pursue exclusive partnerships.