OpenAI announced on September 29, 2025 a new way to buy inside ChatGPT: Instant Checkout, powered by an open protocol called the Agentic Commerce Protocol. Can you imagine ordering something from a conversation and getting it without leaving the chat? That's exactly what they're trying to make happen. (openai.com)

What is Instant Checkout

Instant Checkout lets you buy directly from the ChatGPT conversation when you ask for product recommendations. If a product supports Instant Checkout you'll see a "Buy" button; you confirm shipping and payment, and the purchase is processed without leaving the chat. For users in the United States, this already works with Etsy sellers and will soon arrive at more Shopify merchants like Glossier, SKIMS and Spanx. Instant Checkout currently supports single-item purchases; multi-item carts are coming later. (openai.com)

And product ranking? OpenAI says results are organic and not sponsored: ChatGPT still shows what’s most relevant based on availability, price and quality, not because Instant Checkout is enabled. (openai.com)

The Agentic Commerce Protocol: an open standard

At the heart of the experience is the Agentic Commerce Protocol, an open standard that OpenAI launched together with Stripe and several merchants. The idea is that AI agents, users and stores speak the same "language" to complete purchases without breaking the systems merchants already use. OpenAI also released the documentation and repository so developers and sellers can integrate the feature. If you're a developer or merchant you can review the protocol and apply to join. (openai.com)

How does this integrate with existing payment systems?

OpenAI worked with Stripe so merchants already using Stripe can enable agentic payments with minimal integration — even "one line of code" according to the announcement. If a merchant uses another processor, they can accept agentic payments via Stripe's new Shared Payment Token API or by adopting the protocol's Delegated Payments specification. In practice, this means less technical friction for merchants who want to sell inside ChatGPT. (openai.com)

Security and control: what OpenAI emphasizes

OpenAI highlights four key points to build trust:

• The user explicitly confirms each step before the AI acts. (openai.com)
• Payment tokens are encrypted and authorized only for specific amounts and merchants. (openai.com)
• Only the minimal necessary information is shared with the merchant, with the user's permission. (openai.com)
• The merchant remains the "merchant of record": they handle payments, shipping, returns and customer service using their own systems. (openai.com)

"Stripe is building the economic infrastructure for AI... We're proud to power Instant Checkout in ChatGPT."

A quote from a Stripe executive included in the post shows the payments partner is not just a technical provider, but a co-developer of the approach. (openai.com)

What changes for consumers and merchants?

For you as a consumer: fewer steps between a recommendation and a purchase. Instead of copying links, comparing and switching tabs, you could confirm a purchase in the conversation. Does it save you time? Yes. Does it make impulse buys more likely? That's possible too; which is why OpenAI insists on explicit confirmation and transparency. (openai.com)

For merchants: a new route to be discovered by hundreds of millions of ChatGPT users, while keeping control over payments and support. OpenAI will charge a small fee per completed purchase, but won't charge users directly or change prices for using Instant Checkout. (openai.com)

Some practical questions

• Where does it work today? Initially in the United States with Etsy sellers; expansion to more merchants and regions will be gradual. (openai.com)
• Can I trust my card won't be used out of context? OpenAI details that payment tokens are limited to specific amounts and merchants and require your permission. (openai.com)
• I'm a merchant and want to integrate—what now? OpenAI published the protocol documentation and code to get started and offers ways to apply so your products can be available in ChatGPT. (openai.com)

Final reflection

This is not just a new button; it's the first layer of what OpenAI calls "agentic commerce": AI acting as an active intermediary between what you search for and what you buy. Are you excited by the convenience or worried about the ethical and commercial friction it might create? Both reactions are valid. The important thing is that there is now an open standard aiming to organize that interaction, and anyone—developers and merchants—can adopt or question it.

If you want to read the original post or review the technical documentation, OpenAI published the announcement and official resources on September 29, 2025. (openai.com)