OpenAI Supercharges ChatGPT with Agentic Shopping System

In Focus

• OpenAI has added an AI shopping Agent, Instant Checkout to ChatGPT
• The shopping agent allows U.S. users to shop on Shopify and Etsy without leaving chats
• OpenAI will open-source its Agentic Commerce Protocol (ACP), the technology that supports Instant Checkout
• The AI startup worked with Stripe to develop the ACP

OpenAI has added an AI shopping agent called Instant Checkout to ChatGPT. The AI agent allows U.S. users to buy from Shopify and Etsy in between chats. According to TechCrunch, OpenAI’s agentic shopping system marks a huge step in shaping the future of online shopping for buyers and ecommerce platforms.

How Instant Checkout Works

The latest ChatGPT Instant Checkout builds on a shopping feature that previously presented relevant images, products, reviews, prices, and links to sellers on the OpenAI chatbot. The shopping feature presented such content in response to user questions.

The new ChatGPT in-chat shopping allows users to confirm orders, shipping, and payment details to complete transactions within chats; they don’t have to follow direct links to make a purchase. OpenAI provides various payment options to users, including Google Pay, Apple Pay, Stripe, and credit card.

Available on Multiple ChatGPT Versions

OpenAI’s Instant Checkout feature is available on various ChatGPT versions including Pro, Plus, and Free. The AI startup said the new shopping AI agent is available to logged-in users who purchase from over 1 million Shopify merchants and U.S-based Etsy sellers.

OpenAI said the products that appear on ChatGPT chats are organic, ranked based on relevance to users. The AI startup added that it would charge sellers a small fee for completed purchases.
In July 2025, the AI startup launched a ChatGPT agent that can act, decide and adapt. This agent combines aspects of OpenAI’s previous agentic tool, Operator, which is designed to handle complex, multi-step research tasks.

A New Way to Shop Online

In recent years, tech companies have been integrating AI in online shopping in a bid to stay ahead of competitions and offer shoppers frictionless experiences. In 2024, AI startup Perplexity added a shopping feature that allowed users to research and buy products on its platform.

Software giant Microsoft diversified its AI strategy and introduced Copilot Merchant, a program that allows sellers to create in-chat storefront capabilities. This form of in-chat shopping is changing the way people discover products and shop online. It is moving them away from search engines and ecommerce platforms to conversational agents that generate curated comparisons, recommendations, and seamless checkout processes.

Shifting Power from Dominant Players

In-chat shopping is also shifting power from companies like Amazon and Google, which have been dominating online shopping, emerging AI firms. In July 2025, Google Chrome launched AI store summaries to simplify online shopping.
The feature helps users to quickly understand the products available in online stores. Should more purchases start within AI chatbots, companies behind these tools will have more control over the products that users discover and the fees they charge.

Key Insights at a Glance

• OpenAI’s latest AI agent points to the future on online shopping
• The Instant Checkout feature is available to logged-in users on ChatGPT Pro, Plus, and Free versions
• OpenAI’s Instant Checkout changes the way people discover products and shop online
• The new feature moves shoppers from search engines and ecommerce sites to conversational agents

Open-Sourcing Instant Checkout Technology

In addition to unveiling the in-chat checkout agent, OpenAI announced that it will open-source its Agentic Commerce Protocol (ACP), which is the technology that supports instant Checkout. The AI startup worked with Stripe to develop the ACP. By open-sourcing the technology, OpenAI will enable sellers and developers to integrate the AI agent.

“Stripe is building the economic infrastructure for AI. That means re-architecting today’s commerce systems and creating new AI-powered experiences for billions of people,” President of Technology and Business at Stripe Will Gaybrick said in a statement.

OpenAI’s move to open-source ACP will increase the adoption of chatbots that work as virtual storefronts by allowing sellers to integrate with ChatGPT. The move will also expand the potential of OpenAI to control over retail product discovery and checkout. If successful, OpenAI will become an important architect of the AI commerce ecosystem.