The global ecommerce spend through messaging channels is set to surge, reaching nearly $19 billion by 2027, up from $14 billion in 2025. This growth is driven by the integration of conversational AI into multimedia messaging channels, including business messaging services and over-the-top (OTT) messaging apps.
New Revenue Streams for Messaging Providers
As ecommerce continues to boom, messaging providers are poised to tap into this lucrative market. The global transactional value of ecommerce payments is expected to hit $8.4 trillion by 2026. Although multimedia channels currently account for less than 1% of this spend, they offer a huge opportunity for messaging providers to generate new revenue streams.
To capitalize on this trend, messaging providers must partner with established payment service providers to implement payment capabilities within their channels. This is crucial given the complex regulatory landscape surrounding mobile payments.
- Conversational AI capabilities in multimedia channels provide an ideal platform for messaging providers to increase their share of ecommerce spend.
- By partnering with payment service providers, messaging providers can offer more engaging user experiences.
- This, in turn, enables merchants to reach new users and increases the value of conversational channels in the ecommerce ecosystem.
Molly Gatford, Senior Research Analytics at Juniper Research, notes that messaging providers should consider revenue-sharing agreements when partnering with payment service providers. This will help them maximize their revenue potential in the ecommerce space. The study’s findings are based on Juniper Research’s Global Conversational AI Market 2025-2029 report.