OpenAI launched Instant Checkout in ChatGPT, pushes shopping from chat to checkout

OpenAI has introduced “Instant Checkout” in ChatGPT,  a feature that allows users to purchase products directly within the chat interface. The Instant Checkout feature is rolling out to U.S. users across all ChatGPT tiers, that is, Plus, Pro, and Free. It currently supports purchases from U.S. Etsy sellers, with integration for over a million Shopify merchants, including brands like Glossier, SKIMS, Spanx and Vuori slated to follow.

The Agentic Commerce Protocol is an open-source specification designed to serve as the communication layer for AI commerce. It allows AI agents, consumers, and businesses to interact programmatically to complete a purchase. From a B2B perspective, the protocol aims to address merchant concerns about losing control in a chat-based shopping environment.

Merchant control point

The Agentic Commerce Protocol (ACP) prioritises merchant control and data security. The business always remains the merchant of record for every purchase, retaining full authority over customer relationships, order fulfilment, returns, and support processes; ChatGPT functions solely as the user's secure agent, transmitting necessary transaction details.

Designed for straightforward adoption, the ACP integrates with a merchant's existing payment processors and backend systems, minimising the need for significant infrastructure changes. This compatibility extends to payment flexibility: while Stripe co-developed the protocol, merchants using other payment providers can participate by using Stripe’s new Shared Payment Token API or adopting the Delegated Payments Spec within the ACP.

Crucially, the system is built for security, relying on encrypted payment tokens authorised only for specific merchants and amounts, ensuring secure data handling with explicit user permission at every step of the process.

The  agent as the new storefront

When a user submits a shopping query, ChatGPT returns product recommendations. The ranking prioritises relevance to the query, not whether a product supports Instant Checkout.

If a product offers Instant Checkout, the user can tap "Buy," confirm their order, shipping, and payment details (using a card on file for subscribers or new payment methods), and complete the transaction without leaving the chat.