OpenAI has unveiled a new Instant Checkout feature in ChatGPT, allowing users to discover and purchase products without ever leaving the chat interface. Launched in partnership with Etsy and Shopify, this marks a significant shift in how AI agents interact with real-world tasks — not just recommending content, but completing actions on behalf of the user.
Built on the newly open-sourced Agentic Commerce Protocol, co-developed with Stripe, the system enables ChatGPT to function as a transactional assistant. Users can ask for gift ideas or specific items, and ChatGPT will not only offer personalized product suggestions from Etsy and Shopify merchants but also handle the checkout process — all within the same conversation.
The integration is designed to blur the line between browsing and buying. Rather than relying on traditional search and navigation, users engage in natural conversation with an AI that understands context, preferences, and intent — and takes action accordingly.
Initially available to U.S.-based users shopping from U.S. Etsy pages, the feature will soon expand to support Shopify’s vast merchant network.
More importantly, by open-sourcing the protocol, OpenAI invites developers and merchants to build their own agentic commerce experiences — potentially reshaping the role of AI in digital retail. It’s a step toward autonomous AI agents that don’t just assist users — they act for them.