ChatGPT becomes an online store and changes the way of shopping on the internet

OpenAI has taken a decisive step toward transforming how consumers interact with brands and products in the digital environment. The company announced the launch of Instant Checkout in ChatGPT, a feature that enables the purchase of products directly within the conversation with the artificial intelligence, without the need to access external websites or platforms.

The move marks the beginning of what the company callsAgentic Commerce, a new stage in which AI assistants take on the role of active mediators in consumer decisions. Developed in partnership with Stripe, the feature introduces the Agentic Commerce Protocol, an open standard that aims to define how transactions can occur securely, automatically, and in an integrated manner between people and artificial intelligence systems.

According to OpenAI, over 700 million people use ChatGPT weekly for everyday activities, including searching for and comparing products. With the new system, when a user asks about an item, the chatbot will display organic and relevant results, and if the product is eligible for Instant Checkout, a single tap on “Buy” will complete the transaction, with payment confirmation and shipping handled within the interface itself.

The functionality is already available to users in the United States, initially with Etsy sellers. The company anticipates that over one million Shopify merchants will integrate the system in the coming months, including brands such as Glossier, SKIMS, Spanx, and Vuori. For now, the feature only supports single-item purchases, but OpenAI plans to expand to multi-item carts and new markets, though there is no timeline yet for Brazil.

More than a simple commercial addition, the novelty reinforces OpenAI's ambition to position artificial intelligence as the primary interface between consumers and digital commerce. In a statement, the company said that “as AI becomes a key interface for how people discover, decide, and buy, the Agentic Commerce Protocol provides a foundation that connects people and businesses for the next era of commerce.”.

Analysts see the move as a watershed moment in global e-commerce, by combining intelligent recommendation, personalization, and instant payment into a single conversational flow—a step that may redefine the very concept of online stores. “The future of commerce is increasingly integrated with technology and artificial intelligence. However, it is still worth investing in one's own e-commerce, especially for brands seeking control over customer data, personalized shopping experience, and loyalty. Platforms like ChatGPT and marketplaces facilitate sales, but do not replace the strategic value of having one's own sales channel,” explains Rebecca Fischer, Co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer (CSO) of Divibank.

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