ChatGPT Now Handles Payments in Chat, Giving Users a Seamless Way to Buy Products From Trusted Merchants: How It Works?

ChatGPT Users Can Now Buy Products Directly in Chat With Instant Checkout

OpenAI is pushing the boundaries of AI by turning ChatGPT from a helper into a buyer.

With the launch of Instant Checkout, users in the U.S.—including free, Plus, and Pro subscribers—can now complete purchases directly within chat conversations, starting with single-item orders from Etsy.

The feature signals a shift from AI merely offering recommendations to actually handling transactions, with support for over a million Shopify merchants, including Glossier, SKIMS, Spanx, and Vuori, expected soon.

How Does Instant Checkout Work and Why Does It Matter?

When users ask ChatGPT for product suggestions, the AI now highlights items that support Instant Checkout.

By tapping “Buy,” confirming order and payment details, and using stored payment methods if available, the purchase is completed without leaving the chat.

OpenAI emphasises that merchants continue to manage fulfilment and customer service, while payment information is encrypted and shared only with consent.

OpenAI’s partnership with Stripe led to the creation of the Agentic Commerce Protocol, an open standard allowing merchants to integrate AI-powered payments easily.

Stripe’s Will Gaybrick called it part of “re-architecting today’s commerce systems” to support AI-native shopping.

By making the technology open source, OpenAI hopes to enable broader adoption without forcing merchants into closed ecosystems.

Are Chatbots Becoming the New Shopping Front?

The launch challenges the traditional retail funnel.

Instead of landing on a website, buyers may complete transactions entirely within a chat, making the AI the starting point for sales.

Etsy’s Chief Product and Technology Officer, Rafe Colburn, said ChatGPT allows them to reach buyers “even when they don’t think to come to Etsy.”

Shopify’s VP of Product Vanessa Lee added it helps merchants meet “high-intent shoppers in relevant conversations.”

For marketers, this changes how visibility and conversions work.

Paid placement is no longer the main factor—product relevance and quality descriptions matter most.

Tracking conversions and attribution now requires accounting for purchases initiated in AI chats, while maintaining transparency and trust in how user data is handled becomes increasingly important.

Who Else Is Racing in Agentic Commerce?

OpenAI is not alone.

Google has released an open-source AI purchasing tool, while Amazon reportedly views AI agents bypassing its storefront as a potential threat to its advertising revenue.

Other competitors like Perplexity and Microsoft are also experimenting with in-chat shopping features, offering merchants ways to embed storefronts directly into chat platforms.

What This Means for Online Retailers?

Instant Checkout transforms ChatGPT from a product guide into a transactional platform, signalling a new era for ecommerce.

With nearly half of global consumers already using AI tools for shopping, and over 50 percent open to AI making purchases for them, retailers and marketers face a pivotal moment: adapt their listings, optimise product data, and prepare systems to handle AI-initiated orders, or risk being left behind in this emerging AI-driven shopping landscape.