Podcast Episode
The upcoming shopping cart would transform this single-item experience into something resembling a traditional e-commerce platform. Users could review selected items in a centralized space, choose delivery addresses and payment methods, and complete multi-item purchases seamlessly.
Powering these transactions is the Agentic Commerce Protocol, co-developed with Stripe. Notably, merchants only pay fees when purchases complete, and product rankings remain organic and unsponsored, distinguishing ChatGPT's approach from traditional paid advertising models.
ChatGPT Becomes a Checkout Counter: OpenAI's Bold E-Commerce Push
January 25, 2026
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OpenAI is transforming ChatGPT into a full e-commerce platform with new shopping cart features and merchant tools. Building on Instant Checkout launched in late 2025, the company is now developing multi-item carts, centralized checkout, and a dedicated merchant submission page.
OpenAI's Shopping Ambitions Take Shape
OpenAI is rapidly evolving ChatGPT from a conversational assistant into a fully-fledged shopping destination. According to reports from TestingCatalog, the company is developing a dedicated shopping cart feature that would allow users to collect products discussed during conversations and purchase them without leaving the chat interface.Building on Instant Checkout
The new features expand on OpenAI's Instant Checkout system, launched in September 2025. That initial rollout enabled US ChatGPT users to purchase single items from Etsy sellers directly within conversations. By November, the feature expanded to include major Shopify merchants such as Spanx, Skims, and Glossier.The upcoming shopping cart would transform this single-item experience into something resembling a traditional e-commerce platform. Users could review selected items in a centralized space, choose delivery addresses and payment methods, and complete multi-item purchases seamlessly.
The Merchant Opportunity
OpenAI currently accepts merchant applications through its dedicated portal, where sellers can submit product feeds in various formats including CSV, XML, and JSON. The reported merchant submission page in development may streamline this process for small business owners seeking exposure to ChatGPT's hundreds of millions of users.Powering these transactions is the Agentic Commerce Protocol, co-developed with Stripe. Notably, merchants only pay fees when purchases complete, and product rankings remain organic and unsponsored, distinguishing ChatGPT's approach from traditional paid advertising models.
Major Retail Partnerships Expanding
Target has already launched a beta app within ChatGPT enabling multi-item baskets, fresh food purchases, and multiple fulfilment options. The approach mirrors Microsoft's Copilot Checkout feature, unveiled at NRF 2026 with integrations for PayPal, Shopify, Stripe, and Etsy.What Comes Next
With ads set to begin testing in ChatGPT and international expansion planned for the first quarter of 2026, OpenAI appears committed to building a commerce ecosystem that could challenge established players like Amazon and Google in the AI shopping wars.Published January 25, 2026 at 11:13am