OpenAI debuts new ChatGPT 'buy' button and open source Agentic Commerce Protocol
The next time you order something online, it may be through ChatGPT — at least if OpenAI and online payments provider Stripe have anything to say about it.The two companies today announced a new feature for the world's most popular dedicated chatbot (with 700 million weekly active users globally): Instant Checkout.The feature allows U.S. ChatGPT users in the free, Plus, and Pro subscription tiers to purchase items directly through the familiar chat interface — provided they are logged in with their accounts and usernames.When a user asks a shopping question, such as “best running shoes under $100” or “gifts for a ceramics lover,” ChatGPT will return relevant products from across the web. These results are not sponsored, and ranked on relevance alone, according to OpenAI. If a product supports Instant Checkout, the user can select “Buy" with a new button that will appear in the conversational interface alongside a price.Then, the user can manually confirm the order, shipping, and payment details, and complete the purchase — all without leaving the chat. See a below video of the transaction interface in action posted by OpenAI on YouTube:Payment can be processed with a card already on file for ChatGPT subscribers or through other express options. Orders, payments, and fulfillment are handled entirely by the merchant using their existing systems. ChatGPT acts as an intermediary, securely passing information between buyer and merchant.OpenAI positions Instant Checkout as a way for ChatGPT to move beyond product discovery. In its announcement, the company says this marks the next step in agentic commerce, where ChatGPT not only helps users find what to buy but also enables them to buy it. For shoppers, the process is designed to be seamless, moving from chat to checkout in a few taps. For merchants, it offers a new way to reach ChatGPT’s hundreds of millions of weekly users while keeping full control of payments, systems, and customer relationships.What it means for merchantsMerchants pay a small fee on completed purchases. The service is free for users and does not alter product pricing or influence search rankings within ChatGPT.OpenAI notes that when multiple merchants sell the same product, ranking considers factors such as availability, price, quality, whether the seller is primary, and whether Instant Checkout is enabled.At launch, shoppers in the United States can buy directly from Etsy sellers within ChatGPT. More than a million Shopify merchants, including brands such as Glossier, SKIMS, Spanx, and Vuori, will be added soon. Purchases currently support only single items, but OpenAI plans to add multi-item carts, expand to more regions, and bring additional merchants onto the platform.The Agentic Commerce ProtocolThe system is powered by the Agentic Commerce Protocol (ACP), a new, open standard for AI commerce co-developed by OpenAI and Stripe. OpenAI says ACP lets AI agents, people, and businesses work together to complete purchases securely and efficiently.At the core of this rollout is ACP, the open standard that defines how AI agents and businesses interact to complete transactions. Built with Stripe and with input from merchants, ACP is designed to work across platforms, processors, and business models.Merchants do not need to overhaul their systems to adopt it. They remain the merchant of record throughout the purchase journey, including fulfillment, returns, support, and communication. When an order is placed, ChatGPT transmits the necessary details via ACP to the merchant’s backend. The merchant can then accept or decline the order, process payment with their existing provider, and complete fulfillment as usual.For those already processing payments with Stripe, enabling agentic payments requires minimal coding — OpenAI says as little as one line. Merchants using other processors can still participate by integrating Stripe’s Shared Payment Token API or adopting the Delegated Payments specification included in ACP, without switching payment providers.OpenAI emphasizes that Instant Checkout and ACP are designed with security and control in mind. Users explicitly confirm each step before any action is taken. Payment tokens are encrypted, authorized only for specific merchants and amounts, and require user permission. Only the minimum data necessary to complete a transaction is shared with merchants.How ACP compares with Google’s AP2OpenAI is not alone in trying to standardize how AI agents make payments. Earlier this month, Google announced the Agent Payments Protocol, or AP2, which it developed with more than 60 partners including American Express, Mastercard, PayPal, Salesforce, and ServiceNow.Like ACP, AP2 is an open-source protocol designed to let AI agents securely complete purchases. But while ACP emphasizes keeping merchants in control using their existing processors, AP2 focuses on creating a shared rulebook across the broader digital payments ecosystem. Google’s AP2 introduces the concept of “Mandates,” cryptographically signed digital contracts that serve as verifiable proof of a user’s instructions. These contracts provide an auditable trail that connects a user’s request to the final transaction, supporting both real-time agent-assisted purchases and delegated transactions that may happen later without the user present.While AP2 has backing from a wide range of financial institutions and payment providers, it is not yet available in consumer-facing products. ACP, by contrast, is immediately live in ChatGPT for U.S. shoppers through Etsy and soon Shopify merchants. In effect, ACP is the first to move from specification to deployment, while AP2 aims to become a broader industry standard across multiple platforms and payment networks.Partner perspectivesSeveral partners highlighted what the system means for their businesses in a press release provided by OpenAI to VentureBeat. Will Gaybrick, Stripe’s President of Technology and Business, says Stripe is building the economic infrastructure for AI and is proud to power Instant Checkout and co-develop ACP. Etsy’s Chief Product and Technology Officer, Rafe Colburn, notes that ChatGPT helps Etsy reach buyers even when they are not actively visiting Etsy’s platform. Vanessa Lee, Shopify’s VP of Product, says that by bringing Shopify merchants into ChatGPT, both indie brands and established names can reach high-intent shoppers in new contexts.What’s nextThe current launch is limited to single-item purchases from U.S. Etsy sellers, but OpenAI has broader ambitions. The company says Instant Checkout will expand to support multi-item carts, additional geographies, and more merchants over time. The open-sourcing of ACP is also intended to encourage wider adoption by developers and businesses beyond the initial set of partners.OpenAI frames this release as a step toward a future where AI agents play a central role in commerce. By embedding purchasing capabilities directly into chat, the company is testing how conversational AI can connect people with businesses in the buying process itself.