A friend in need is a friend in deed. We are well aware of this adage and now the social networking giant Facebook promises the same with its new feature.

You have been so far using your favourite site to send instant messages and remain in touch with your near and dear ones with their latest updates, but a new feature offers a lot more for the users of this instant messaging service provider.

Now, the social networking site can not only be used for sending smiley faces or sharing photos or locations, but you can use the forum to send money instantly to your friend in need.

The company on Tuesday announced the new Messenger app service for its American users. With the new application, the users in the United States would now be able to get their debit cards linked to the payment service. This will enable them to send money via message to a Facebook friend with the same ease as they share a snapshot or text.

As Facebook enjoys a large user base and huge reach, the introduction of a unique payment feature on social forum is expected to cause tremors among the rivals in the nascent instant money transfer market.

According to the analysts, the success of the payment system would help Facebook in extending itself to other types of purchases like buying of products by the consumers directly from advertisers.