It was only a matter of time before someone came up with way to buy beer for friends on Facebook.
In a partnership with Seattle-based gift-giving platform Gratafy, Anheuser-Busch is testing a way for Facebook friends to send each other Budweiser and Bud Light.
The new feature is fairly simple: After one friend purchases the beer on Facebook with their credit card, the person receiving the gift can redeem their alcohol at a Gratafy partner location by giving the server a three-digit code found in their confirmation email from Gratafy.
The idea is similar to the Starbucks’ Tweet-a-Coffee program from last year which allowed customers of the coffee store chain to buy $5 gift cards for friends on Twitter.
However, the Budweiser deal is only being tested in Denver and Chicago for now, with plans to expand nationwide next year — a majority of Facebook users wanting to give the gift of beer will have to be a little patient.
This is a notable partnership for Gratafy, a two-year-old startup that was founded by University of Washington grads Brian Erke and Ryan Halper as a way for people to buy drinks, desserts or other menu items from restaurants for friends who may be celebrating anniversaries, birthdays or other special occasions.
The service originally only allowed the sending of gifts to Facebook friends, but the company later added a login platform that enabled text and email delivery, too. Gratafy also allows restaurants to send gifts to customers after hearing demand for the feature from its 500 merchant partners. In addition, company also built widgets that allows merchants to sell gifts directly on their websites.
Gratafy is live in six cities: Seattle, Denver, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Houston.
