OpenAI is turning ChatGPT into more than just a chat assistant. On Monday, the company announced a new feature that lets users shop directly within ChatGPT, thanks to partnerships with Etsy and Shopify.
For users, the experience is simple and free. There are no extra charges for using Instant Checkout. For merchants, OpenAI will take a small fee on completed sales, but it won’t affect product prices.
A New Revenue Stream for OpenAI
This update gives OpenAI a fresh way to make money beyond its usual subscription plans. With millions of people using ChatGPT every day, shopping directly in chat could be a big opportunity.
“US ChatGPT Plus, Pro, and free users can now buy directly from US Etsy sellers right in chat, with over a million Shopify merchants, like Glossier, SKIMS, Spanx, and Vuori, coming soon,” OpenAI said in a blog post.
For now, Instant Checkout will only work with single-item purchases, but OpenAI says multi-item carts and wider merchant and region support are on the way.
Etsy and Shopify Stocks React
Investors were quick to respond to the news. Etsy’s shares jumped 7.3 per cent, while Shopify’s US-listed stock rose 4.5 per cent after the announcement.
“Shopify merchants will be able to sell directly through ChatGPT conversations – no links or no redirects, just seamless commerce,” Shopify said on its website.
A Boost for AI-Powered Shopping
Etsy’s chief product and technology officer, Rafe Colburn, highlighted how this change could reshape online shopping.
He said that “AI-powered and agentic shopping presented meaningful opportunities for the online marketplace.” Colburn also added that Etsy was working with a technology partner – though he didn’t name the company – to bring smoother product discovery into its mobile experience.
OpenAI and Stripe Team Up
To make it all work, OpenAI developed an agentic commerce protocol in collaboration with payments company Stripe. The protocol, which powers the checkout system, will be open-sourced, allowing others to build on top of it.
With this move, ChatGPT isn’t just answering questions anymore – it’s becoming a shopping destination.
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