You can now buy products directly within ChatGPT.
In a groundbreaking move combining generative AI and ecommerce, OpenAI recently introduced “Instant Checkout”. A feature that lets shoppers purchase products via chat without visiting other online marketplaces.
Currently, the feature is available for U.S. ChatGPT Free, Plus, and Pro users. These users can now purchase products directly from U.S. Etsy merchants through ChatGPT. They will also soon have the option to buy from over a million Shopify merchants, including shapewear brand SKIMS, contemporary apparel company Vuori, beauty brand Glossier, and more.
The ”Instant Checkout” feature currently supports only single-item purchases, but OpenAI plans to roll out multi-item carts in the future and introduce more merchants and regions.
How Instant Checkout Works
If you want to purchase an item and enter a prompt such as ”best soundbars under $500” or ”best last-minute Christmas gifts,” ChatGPT will suggest relevant products from across the web.
Then, if the product supports Instant Checkout you can purchase it within chat by clicking ”Buy” and confirming your order, shipping, and payment details, and complete the purchase without leaving the platform.
While shoppers won’t have to pay a fee for the service, merchants will pay a small fee for each successful transaction.
A New Way to Shop Online
The new feature signals ChatGPT’s entry into agentic commerce, where AI agents act on behalf of users to perform tasks, such as finding products, comparing them, and completing purchases with minimal user action required.
”This marks the next step in agentic commerce, where ChatGPT doesn’t just help you find what to buy, it also helps you buy it. For shoppers, it’s seamless: go from chat to checkout in just a few taps. For sellers, it’s a new way to reach hundreds of millions of people while keeping full control of their payments, systems, and customer relationships,” OpenAI said in a news release.
The feature runs on the Agentic Commerce Protocol (ACP), which OpenAI built with Stripe and other leading merchants. In addition to launching ”Instant Checkout” OpenAI announced it will open-source ACP, allowing other merchants to develop their own integrations.
The Future of Ecommerce
More consumers are turning to AI for shopping recommendations. In fact, traffic to U.S. retail sites from generative AI tools like ChatGPT has risen a whopping 4,700% over the past year, according to an Adobe report.
It’s no wonder the U.S. B2C retail market is expected to generate $1 trillion through agentic commerce by 2030, while globally revenue could reach up to $5 trillion, according to a McKinsey report.
With ”Ínstant Checkout” OpenAI promises to make online shopping more seamless for buyers, while providing merchants and brands with access to a larger customer base.
“Shopping is changing fast. People are discovering products in AI conversations, not just through search or ads.” “This will let our merchants show up naturally in those moments and give shoppers a way to buy without breaking their flow. It’s a really exciting shift for commerce,” said Vanessa Lee, VP of Product at Shopify, in a news article on the company’s website.
However, while agentic commerce promises to transform how consumers shop online, commerce analysts like Carina Lamb warn that it could make brands miss upsell opportunities and lose media revenue.
