Virtual Goods News

Yesterday Offerpal Media began testing its own universal virtual currency platform in the Facebook app Mousehunt, according to Inside Facebook. The new platform is called "Offerpal Payments" and appears alongside other payment options when a user attempts to buy virtual currency in the Mousehunt app. Users can use Offerpal Payments to buy Offerpal Credits, which can then be redeemed in any participating app. Users can buy Offerpal Payments using credit card, PayPal, Zong, Boku, Amazon Payments, Spare Change, and the Ultimate Gamer Card.

The intent behind Offerpal Credits seems to be encouraging customer loyalty. Users could purchase Offerpal Credits ahead of time and then use them to purchase virtual items on impulse in participating Offerpal games and apps throughout the Web. Instead of navigating payments at each individual online destination, the user only has to bother with paying a single trusted source. What is very audacious about Offerpal's ongoing platform test is that it's happening in a Facebook app, even though Facebook is currently testing its own virtual currency platform.

"The product is in no way intended to cannibalize traffic from other payment providers in our platform – we actually intend to keep adding more payment platforms (including Facebook Credits)," said Offerpal's Matt McAllister.  "We also want to point out that Offerpal Credits is a 100% open platform and is available fo