OpenAI and Stripe have introduced Instant Checkout in ChatGPT, a new feature that lets U.S. ChatGPT Plus, Pro, and Free users purchase items directly within the chat.
The rollout marks an early step toward what the companies describe as agentic commerce, where AI agents help people complete transactions as seamlessly as they discover products.
For now, users can buy from Etsy sellers in the U.S., with over a million Shopify merchants including brands such as Glossier, SKIMS, Spanx, and Vuori to follow.
When a product supports Instant Checkout, shoppers can tap “Buy,” confirm shipping and payment details, and complete their order without leaving the conversation.
Fulfillment, customer support, and returns remain with the merchant.
At the core of this system is the Agentic Commerce Protocol, an open standard co-developed by OpenAI and Stripe to let AI agents interact with merchant backends.
The protocol is being open-sourced to encourage wider adoption and is designed to work across platforms and payment processors while keeping merchants in control of payments and customer relationships.
Security is built into the process. Users confirm each step of a purchase, and payments are handled using encrypted tokens authorised only for specific merchants and amounts.
Only the data required to complete an order is shared with sellers.
OpenAI said product rankings in ChatGPT remain organic and unsponsored, with no preference given to merchants offering Instant Checkout.
The feature currently supports single-item purchases, with multi-item carts and expanded availability planned. Merchants pay a small fee on completed purchases, while the service is free for users.
By releasing the Agentic Commerce Protocol as an open standard, the companies aim to encourage adoption across the industry.
For shoppers, the change brings a smoother buying experience inside ChatGPT. For merchants, it opens a new channel to reach customers while continuing to use their existing systems.
“Stripe is building the economic infrastructure for AI. That means re-architecting today’s commerce systems and creating new AI-powered experiences for billions of people.
We’re proud to power Instant Checkout in ChatGPT and co-develop the Agentic Commerce Protocol to help businesses and AI platforms build the future of commerce.”
said Will Gaybrick, President, Technology and Business, Stripe.
Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by thanyakij-12 via Freepik
