OpenAI now allows ChatGPT users purchase items on the chat interface

OpenAI launched a shopping tool, Instant Checkout, on Monday that lets people purchase items without leaving its chat platform. The feature started with items from American Etsy sellers and works for ChatGPT Plus, Pro, and Free users in the United States.

The company said over one million Shopify sellers will join the platform soon, including brands like Skims and Glossier. Stock prices for both Etsy and Shopify jumped roughly 5% following the announcement on Monday.

The new checkout system creates another way for OpenAI to make money. The startup collects fees from purchases made through ChatGPT, though it has not yet turned a profit and continues spending heavily to expand its computer systems.

OpenAI would not say exactly how much it charges merchants, explaining that contract details with Etsy and Shopify remain private. People using the service pay nothing extra, and their product prices stay the same, according to the company.

Multi-item carts and global expansion on the horizon

“Our vision for ChatGPT, and a lot of the technology we create, but especially ChatGPT, is that it’s not just providing you information, it is also helping you get things done in the real world,” Michelle Fradin told CNBC. Fradin leads product development for ChatGPT commerce at OpenAI.

The company plans to add shopping carts that hold multiple items and bring the checkout feature to other countries later on.

OpenAI has been moving into online shopping over recent months, adding product suggestions to its search tools in April. When ChatGPT shows products from across the internet, results appear based on what fits the user’s needs best, not because of any business deals with OpenAI, Fradin explained.

With Instant Checkout running, users who find something from an Etsy seller while browsing can now buy it right in ChatGPT instead of visiting the seller’s website.

The technology behind Instant Checkout is called the Agentic Commerce Protocol, which handles transactions between users and sellers through ChatGPT. OpenAI built this system with help from Stripe, the financial technology company that already processes payments for ChatGPT subscriptions.

“If you are already a subscriber, you’re already using your card in ChatGPT, then when you go to buy something from Etsy, you don’t have to redo that work,” Fradin said.

Open-Source framework enables broader applications

OpenAI chose to use the Agentic Commerce Protocol for shopping first, though Fradin noted the system might handle different types of transactions or payments down the road. The company decided to release the framework as open-source so merchants can set up integrations more quickly and programmers can explore various applications for it, she explained.

In August, ChatGPT crossed over 700 million active users weekly. Fradin said a large number of questions people ask involve shopping or buying things in some way. Some questions are detailed, like searching for black boots, while others are broader, such as organizing a birthday party for 12 children.

“What we wanted to do is make it even easier for users to complete their journey in ChatGPT, and for merchants and developers to convert those conversations into checkouts,” Fradin said.

The shopping feature represents OpenAI’s latest effort to turn its popular chatbot into a tool that does more than answer questions, pushing it toward completing real-world tasks for users.

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