OpenAI and Shopify have launched Instant Checkout, letting merchants sell products directly inside ChatGPT. This follows earlier updates from OpenAI that gradually built up shopping in the platform. 

In April, ChatGPT began showing product recommendations when users asked about items, but purchases still had to happen on merchant websites. By July, Shopify appeared in OpenAI’s search documentation, showing it had been added as a third-party data source for ChatGPT’s shopping search.

Now, Instant Checkout lets transactions happen entirely within chat. The new shopping feature is now available in the U.S. for ChatGPT Pro, Plus, and Free users for single-item purchases. Multi-item cart support and additional regions will be added later, OpenAI says.

How users can search and buy products directly in ChatGPT

Instant Checkout works by letting users tap a “Buy” button in the chat, confirm shipping and payment details, and complete the order without leaving the chatbot. For example, users can ask ChatGPT for running shoes. The AI displays relevant products from multiple Shopify merchants. If a merchant supports Instant Checkout, the user can complete the purchase process within ChatGPT.

OpenAI says merchants handle orders, fulfillment, and payment using their existing systems. ChatGPT only transmits information securely between the user and the merchant, acting like a digital sales agent without storing or handling funds. Payments can be made using credit cards on file, Apple Pay, Google Pay, or Stripe’s Link. 

Merchant fees and transaction costs

Shopify merchants using Instant Checkout pay a small fee on each completed purchase. This fee is applied only when a transaction is successful and does not affect the product’s listed price. 

OpenAI has said that the service is free for users and that Instant Checkout availability does not influence how products are ranked in ChatGPT. All payments, orders, and fulfillment remain under the merchant’s control, and store names are clearly displayed to ensure proper attribution and transparency.

According to the company, product recommendations remain organic and unsponsored. When multiple merchants sell the same product, factors such as availability, price, seller reliability, and whether the product supports Instant Checkout determine ranking.

How the Agentic Commerce Protocol powers purchases

Instant Checkout is powered by the Agentic Commerce Protocol, an open standard built with Stripe. OpenAI has open-sourced the protocol so merchants and developers can integrate agentic checkout capabilities directly into their systems. 

Shopify CEO Tobi Lutke said the partnership allows users to search and buy products in chat, noting that the feature has been in development for some time.

Competition in AI-powered commerce and agentic shopping

As more users turn to AI for product discovery, comparison, and buying decisions, platforms are racing to enable in-chat purchases. Users expect to search for products and complete transactions directly within chat interfaces, rather than navigating multiple websites. This trend is driving growth in agentic commerce, where AI acts as a personal shopping agent, helping users find, select, and buy products.

OpenAI’s Instant Checkout in ChatGPT positions the company in this agentic commerce space. The company is aiming to tap into its heavy user traffic to generate revenue beyond subscription plans. Reports indicate that operating ChatGPT costs the company $3 to $4 billion annually, so new revenue streams could help offset these operational expenses.

However, other companies are moving quickly in this space. Microsoft’s Copilot Merchant Program allows merchants to create in-chat storefronts, while Perplexity AI introduced “Buy with Pro” for direct purchases. Google is also developing an AI-powered shopping agent, releasing open-source tools for in-chat transactions.

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