What OpenAI’s Latest Move Means for the Future of eCommerce

OpenAI has announced a major new feature for ChatGPT that could reshape how people discover and buy products online. The new “Buy it in ChatGPT” update introduces built-in checkout and a new open-source Agentic Commerce Protocol, giving users the ability to browse and purchase products directly within a chat conversation.

For now, the feature is only available in the United States and supports single-item purchases, but this is more than just a convenience update. It’s an early look at how AI in eCommerce is starting to evolve and it’s a sign that brands will soon need to think differently about how people search, discover and shop online.

What Is “Buy it in ChatGPT”?

“Buy it in ChatGPT” is OpenAI’s first major step into conversational commerce, where product discovery, personalised recommendations, and secure checkout all happen within a single AI-powered conversation. Instead of searching Google, clicking through multiple websites, and filling out checkout forms, users in the USA can now move from question to purchase without ever leaving ChatGPT.

At the centre of this update is the new Agentic Commerce Protocol (co-developed with Stripe), an open-source standard that allows AI platforms to connect directly with eCommerce systems. It enables ChatGPT to share product details, payment preferences, and shipping information securely between users and merchants, while businesses keep full control over fulfilment, customer service, and their own data. Early integrations already include Etsy sellers, with support for more than one million Shopify merchants – including well-known brands such as Glossier, SKIMS, Spanx, and Vuori expected to follow soon.

For now, Instant Checkout supports only single-item purchases and is available exclusively in the United States. Even with this limited launch, it signals a major shift in how AI is being used… ChatGPT is evolving from a tool that simply answers questions into one that facilitates real transactions and reshapes the online buying journey.

How the New Feature Works

Here’s what the new shopping experience will like inside ChatGPT:

• A user asks a question such as “What’s the best running shoe under £100?”
• ChatGPT searches available product listings and returns a shortlist of relevant results.
• If a product supports Instant Checkout, a “Buy” button appears directly in the chat.
• The user can complete the purchase by confirming payment and shipping details without leaving the conversation.
• Behind the scenes, the Agentic Commerce Protocol sends the order and payment details to the merchant, who then fulfils it as usual.

At launch, the feature supports only single-item purchases and a small number of US merchants, but OpenAI has said that multi-item carts, broader integrations and international rollout are all on the roadmap.

Why This Matters for eCommerce

This is more than just a streamlined checkout flow – it’s part of a wider shift in how people find and buy products online, and it’s likely to reshape how eCommerce brands think about visibility, conversion, and customer experience.

1. Search, discovery and purchase are merging

Traditionally, online shopping is a multi-step journey: search for a product, browse websites, compare options, and then complete checkout. ChatGPT compresses all of that into a single conversation. AI won’t just recommend products, it will help customers buy them right there and then.

2. Discovery is becoming more conversational

Shoppers won’t always start with a search engine or marketplace. Instead, they’ll discover products naturally as part of a conversation, whether they’re looking for gift ideas, solving a problem, or exploring a new interest.

3. New channels for brand visibility

As AI assistants become a key part of how people discover products, visibility in these ecosystems could become just as important as SEO or marketplace optimisation. Appearing in ChatGPT’s product results could become a new growth channel for eCommerce brands.

4. Open standards make integration easier

The Agentic Commerce Protocol is designed to make connecting to these new AI-powered marketplaces simpler. Over time, this could reduce the technical barriers to entry for brands that want to plug into conversational commerce.

5. Trust and customer relationships stay with the brand

Importantly, merchants still handle fulfilment, payments, and support. That means businesses keep control of their customer relationships, even as AI takes on more of the discovery and purchase process.

How Advertising Fits into OpenAI’s Plans

While the commerce update is the headline story, it’s not the only signal of where OpenAI is heading. The company is also laying the groundwork for a dedicated advertising platform within ChatGPT, pointing to an ambition to turn the tool into a complete ecosystem for discovery, marketing, and commerce.

Recent job listings reveal that OpenAI is recruiting engineers and marketers to build ad-serving technology, campaign management tools, attribution models, and real-time reporting systems. These capabilities would enable brands to run campaigns directly inside ChatGPT and promote products that surface in response to relevant user queries, bringing paid marketing into the same environment where product discovery and transactions already happen.

This represents a significant strategic shift. OpenAI has previously downplayed advertising, but this investment in infrastructure suggests a future where organic recommendations and paid placements exist side by side, much like Google’s blend of search results and ads.

For businesses, this evolution introduces both opportunity and complexity. Visibility inside AI-generated experiences may soon depend not only on the quality of your product data, structured content, and conversational optimisation, but also on how effectively you can leverage paid placements when they become available. Preparing for that possibility now will make it easier to adapt as this new layer of AI-driven marketing begins to take shape.

What This Could Mean for UK Businesses

Although “Buy it in ChatGPT” is still US-only, it’s worth considering what it could mean once features like this reach the UK market.

Opportunities

• Be early to market… Brands that prepare now will be ready to plug into new AI-driven sales channels as they launch.
• Reach wider audiences… Conversational commerce could help UK brands sell directly to global customers without building their own AI interfaces.
• Boost conversion… Reducing friction in the buying journey often leads to higher conversion rates and fewer abandoned carts.
• Increase discovery… Being surfaced in AI-generated product recommendations could open the door to new audiences.

Challenges

• Technical readiness… eCommerce platforms will need to evolve to integrate with AI protocols and support conversational transactions.
• Brand presentation… Selling through ChatGPT means you lose some control over the design and feel of the buying experience.
• Compliance requirements… Handling customer data and cross-border transactions must align with UK regulations and GDPR.
• Platform reliance… As AI platforms grow, some brands may become dependent on them for visibility and revenue.

Preparing for the Future of Discovery and eCommerce

Even though these features haven’t reached the UK yet, the shift they represent is already underway. AI is changing how people search, discover, and buy online, and the brands that act now will be in the strongest position when conversational commerce becomes mainstream. Here’s how to start laying the groundwork so you’re one step ahead.

Improve Your Structured Data

Structured data might not sound exciting, but it’s one of the most powerful ways to make your products visible to AI systems. The clearer and more detailed your data is (including attributes like pricing, availability, specifications, and reviews) the easier it is for platforms like ChatGPT to understand what you sell and surface it to the right people.

Review Your Integrations

Behind every seamless shopping experience is a tech stack that can support it. As conversational commerce grows, having backend systems that can connect with third-party platforms and APIs will become increasingly important. Now is the time to assess whether your current setup can handle that kind of integration. If it can’t, consider what updates you might need so you’re ready to plug into new channels without major disruption.

Refine Your Product Metadata

AI thrives on context, and that’s exactly what strong product metadata provides. Clear, descriptive product titles, accurate attributes, and well-written copy don’t just help with SEO, they make it easier for AI tools to match your products to user intent. Small details, like describing materials, use cases, or audience, can make a big difference to how and when your products appear in conversational results.

Optimise for Natural Language

The way people interact with AI is very different from how they use search engines. Instead of typing “running shoes cheap,” they might ask, “What are the best affordable running shoes for beginners?”. Your content and product listings should reflect that shift. Focus on natural, conversational language and build in the kinds of long-tail phrases that mirror how people speak. Doing this now will help your products feel relevant in AI-driven recommendations later.

Keep an Eye on the Landscape

The pace of change in this space is rapid, and the brands that adapt early will benefit most. Keep track of updates from OpenAI, Google and other major players, follow industry conversations about conversational commerce, and watch how advertising and discovery evolve together. The more aware you are of where things are heading, the faster you’ll be able to respond when these features become available in the UK.

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