The way we shop online is about to take a giant leap forward. OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, has just launched a new feature called “Instant Checkout,” which lets you buy with ChatGPT directly inside a conversation. This means you can go from asking for a product to paying for it in just a few taps, without ever leaving the chat window.
This new shopping experience is starting in the U.S. with sellers from Etsy, and soon, over a million merchants on Shopify—including popular brands like Glossier and SKIMS—will join in. The new system is powered by a technology called the Agentic Commerce Protocol, which OpenAI built with the payment company Stripe to make sure everything is secure and easy to use.
How It Works: Your AI Personal Shopper
Imagine you’re looking for a gift. Instead of searching on different websites, you can now simply ask ChatGPT, “Find me a handmade ceramic mug for under $30”. ChatGPT will show you relevant products, and if you see one you like from a supported seller, a “Buy” button will appear right in the chat. You can then confirm your payment and shipping details and complete the purchase on the spot.
Think of it like having a digital personal shopper. ChatGPT finds the items for you and then handles the checkout process, while the actual store still manages the payment and shipping, just like they always have. OpenAI has stated that product results are based purely on relevance to your request, not on whether a seller pays for placement.
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Why This Matters for You and Small Businesses
This new way of shopping could be a game-changer, especially for people in emerging economies.
- For Shoppers:Â It makes discovering and buying products incredibly simple and fast. You get personalized recommendations and a seamless checkout experience all in one place.
- For Small Businesses:Â This is a massive opportunity. A small craft maker on Etsy or a local clothing brand on Shopify can now reach the more than 700 million people who use ChatGPT every week. It levels the playing field, giving small sellers a powerful new way to connect with customers around the world without needing a big marketing budget.
This is the first step toward what OpenAI calls “agentic commerce,” where AI assistants don’t just give you information but actively help you get things done. By making the underlying technology open-source, OpenAI is encouraging more businesses and developers to join, which means we will likely see this feature expand to more stores and regions soon.
The line between conversation and commerce is disappearing.
What’s the first thing you would ask ChatGPT to help you shop for?
