OpenAI has introduced a groundbreaking feature named “Instant Checkout,” enabling ChatGPT users in the U.S. to complete purchases from Etsy and, imminently, Shopify merchants directly within their conversations. This development marks a pivotal advancement in the realm of online shopping, promising to redefine consumer interaction with e-commerce platforms and potentially altering the landscape of product discovery, recommendation, and payment processing.

The Instant Checkout functionality is currently accessible to ChatGPT Pro, Plus, and Free logged-in users when buying from U.S.-based Etsy sellers. OpenAI has also announced that over 1 million Shopify merchants, including prominent brands like Glossier, Skims, Spanx, and Vuori, will integrate this feature soon. This new capability streamlines the shopping experience by allowing users to tap “Buy” to confirm their order, shipping, and payment details—with options spanning Apple Pay, Google Pay, Stripe, or credit card—without ever having to leave the chat interface.

This initiative builds upon existing shopping features within ChatGPT that previously offered relevant products, images, reviews, prices, and direct merchant links in response to user queries such as “what should I get my friend who loves ceramics?” or “best sneakers to wear to the office.” The introduction of in-chat payment takes this convenience a step further, echoing similar in-chat shopping and payments features launched by Perplexity last year, and Microsoft's Copilot Merchant Program which allows merchants to create in-chat storefronts.

Such frictionless experiences possess the potential to instigate a new paradigm in how consumers shop online. This shift could move users away from traditional search engines like Google and established e-commerce giants like Amazon, towards conversational AI agents that offer curated recommendations, product comparisons, and seamless checkout processes. Consequently, this innovation is setting the stage for new power brokers to emerge in the e-commerce sector.

Historically, Google and Amazon have served as the primary gatekeepers for retail discovery. However, if a growing number of purchases begin within AI chatbots, the companies behind these agents will gain increased control over which products are surfaced, as well as the commissions or fees they can levy. Both Amazon and Google have, in the past, utilized their market dominance to favor their own products or preferred partners, often by suppressing competitors in search results or imposing substantial fees on sellers to maintain visibility. In contrast, OpenAI has asserted that its product results are “organic and unsponsored,” ranked solely on user relevance, and that it will charge merchants only a “small fee” for completed purchases.

Beyond the Instant Checkout feature, OpenAI also announced its intention to open-source its “Agentic Commerce Protocol” (ACP). This technology, which powers Instant Checkout and was developed in collaboration with Stripe, aims to enable other merchants and developers to integrate agentic checkout solutions. Will Gaybrick, President of Technology and Business at Stripe, emphasized the company’s role in