Twitter lets people tweet money to political campaigns

Twitter partnered with Square, a mobile payment company, to allow candidates to set up an account and tweet a link with a “contribute button.” The mobile users can then click on the button, enter card payment and identifying information and donate directly to the political campaign.

“By partnering with Square to enable donations through Tweets, and as the 2016 election season heats up, we’ve upgraded these tools through which citizens can raise their voices to champion causes and candidates they support,” the company announced in a blog post.

Twitter is clearly trying to thrust itself into the social media companies involved in the 2016 election. Over the past three years, Twitter grew its user base from 16 percent of online adults to 23 percent, according to a Pew Research poll released in August.

“It’s what voters learn and share in these conversations that routinely motivates political action,” the company said. “That’s why we’re making it easier for Twitter users to actively support candidates and causes.”