• by Erik Sass , Staff Writer @eriksass1, July 15, 2015

As promised, Google is rolling out a new button in mobile search ads that allows users to make a purchase directly from that ad. The new mobile “buy” button takes consumers to a mobile landing page where they can complete transactions, including picking sizes, colors, and other details, according to TechCrunch, which reported the news this morning.

Google is currently testing the buy button with a limited number of online retailers, and will begin offering it to more advertisers later this year. Buttons don’t appear next to non-sponsored results or on desktop search results of any kind. The Wall Street Journal had previously reported that advertisers including Macy’s were in talks with Google about using the buy button in paid search ads.

Google is positioning the button as more of an additional advertising option for search advertisers than a major move by Google into e-commerce, as sellers are still responsible for handling fulfillment. Consumers will also be able to continue searching for other products if it turns out they’re not interested in the one advertised.

However, given Google’s history, it’s not hard to imagine the search giant someday establishing its own parallel, competing e-commerce service -- purely as a convenience to consumers, of course. Speaking of convenience, Google is helping handle payments by storing credit card numbers, so consumers only have to enter them once. Interestingly, Google is not sharing the credit card numbers with merchants, but merely passes on the payment, also according to the WSJ.