Buy It in ChatGPT: Connect Your E-commerce to ChatGPT

Conversational AI is changing how people find and buy products online. A new feature called "Buy it in ChatGPT" allows customers to complete purchases directly within a chat conversation.

This removes the need to visit external websites, simplifying the path from product discovery to final checkout. For ecommerce businesses, this shift presents a new channel to reach millions of users.

This guide explains what the feature is, how it impacts ecommerce, and how you can connect your store to this growing ecosystem.

Key Takeaways

• Learn what "Buy it in ChatGPT" is and how it enables direct purchases within the chat interface.
• Understand the Agentic Commerce Protocol (ACP), the open-source technology that powers this feature.
• Discover the step-by-step process for integrating your ecommerce store with ChatGPT.
• Review best practices for using the feature to improve product visibility and sales.
• Find answers to common questions about security, costs, and merchant control.

What is Buy it in ChatGPT?

"Buy it in ChatGPT" is an integrated shopping feature, also known as Instant Checkout. It allows users to purchase items directly from merchants without leaving their ChatGPT conversation.

When a user asks a shopping-related question, ChatGPT can show relevant products. If a product is enabled for Instant Checkout, a "Buy" button appears, letting the user complete the transaction in a few steps.

This process creates a frictionless shopping experience, moving from conversation to conversion in one place.

The feature is built on the Agentic Commerce Protocol (ACP). OpenAI and Stripe co-developed this open-source standard.

The protocol provides a secure language for AI agents, like ChatGPT, to communicate with businesses to complete a purchase for a user.

It is designed to work across different platforms and payment processors, allowing merchants to adopt it without overhauling their existing backend systems.

How it Works

The user experience is designed to be simple and intuitive. It starts when a user expresses a shopping intent, such as asking for gift ideas or searching for a specific item.

ChatGPT then searches for relevant products and presents them to the user. These product results are organic and based on relevance, not paid placements.

If a product supports Instant Checkout, the user sees a "Buy" button.

Clicking this button opens a secure checkout window inside ChatGPT. Here, the user confirms their order details, shipping address, and payment method.

Payment options include credit cards and express payment methods like Apple Pay or Google Pay. After the purchase is confirmed, the user receives an order confirmation email directly from the merchant.

Availability

As of late 2025, the Instant Checkout feature is available to ChatGPT Free, Plus, and Pro users in the United States.

The initial rollout includes products from U.S.-based Etsy sellers. Support for over a million Shopify merchants is planned to follow soon, which will greatly expand the range of available products.

Currently, the feature supports single-item purchases. OpenAI has announced plans to introduce multi-item carts and expand the service to more regions and merchants in the future.

The goal is to create a broad and accessible conversational commerce marketplace.

Impact on ECommerce

This technology significantly shortens the customer journey. It removes the friction of navigating to different websites, creating new accounts, and completing multiple checkout forms.

By acting as both a discovery tool and a transaction facilitator, ChatGPT can drive impulse purchases and offer a more personalized shopping experience.

For merchants, this feature unlocks access to ChatGPT's large user base, which includes hundreds of millions of weekly users. It provides a new and powerful sales channel.

Importantly, merchants remain in control of their business operations.

They handle payment processing, fulfillment, and customer support using their existing systems. This ensures they maintain direct relationships with their customers.

How Merchants Can Connect Their Store to ChatGPT

Connecting your ecommerce store to ChatGPT involves integrating with the Agentic Commerce Protocol (ACP).

This process is designed to be accessible for merchants, especially those already using platforms like Shopify or payment processors like Stripe.

OpenAI has provided open-source documentation and tools to guide developers through the setup.

The integration allows your product catalog to become visible within ChatGPT.

When a user's query matches one of your products, ChatGPT can display it with the option to buy it directly.

This connects your store to a new audience and simplifies the buying process for customers.

Integration Process

The integration process involves several key technical steps. Merchants must prepare their product data, implement an API to handle checkout sessions, and configure their payment system to accept transactions from ChatGPT.

• Apply for Integration: The first step is to apply for inclusion in ChatGPT's shopping experience. OpenAI has an application page for interested merchants. The initial focus is on Etsy and Shopify sellers, but the program is expected to expand.

• Prepare a Product Feed: You need to create a structured product feed in a format like CSV, TSV, XML, or JSON. This feed must contain essential product details, including product IDs, titles, descriptions, prices, image URLs, and inventory status. You will need to host this feed on a secure HTTPS endpoint that OpenAI can access to pull data regularly. This ensures that pricing and availability information remains current.

• Implement the Checkout API: You must implement the Agentic Commerce Protocol's RESTful API on your server. This API handles checkout session requests from ChatGPT. The key endpoints you need to support are:
  • CreateCheckoutRequest: This initiates a new checkout session when a user decides to buy a product.
  • UpdateCheckoutRequest: This updates the session with details like shipping information or quantity changes.
  • CompleteCheckoutRequest: This finalizes the order by passing a secure payment token for processing.

• Handle Payments with SharedPaymentToken: The ACP uses a secure method for handling payments. For merchants using Stripe, this is straightforward. You update your integration to accept SharedPaymentToken objects. This token securely contains the buyer's payment credentials and is authorized only for a specific transaction. This method ensures that sensitive payment data is never exposed to OpenAI. Merchants not using Stripe can use the Delegated Payments specification within the ACP or Stripe’s Shared Payment Token API to process these transactions without changing their primary payment provider.
• Manage Security and Compliance: All communication between ChatGPT and your server must be encrypted using HTTPS. Your API endpoints should be protected with bearer-token authorization. The protocol also uses HMAC signatures for webhook events to ensure data integrity and prevent fraud.
• Get Approval and Launch: After you complete the technical integration, you submit your application for review. Once approved by OpenAI, your products can appear in ChatGPT shopping results. You will continue to manage all post-purchase activities, including order fulfillment, shipping, and customer service, through your existing systems.

How it Works for Merchants

From a merchant's perspective, the process is designed to integrate smoothly with existing workflows. When a user completes a purchase in ChatGPT, the ACP securely transmits the order and payment information to the merchant's backend system.

• Order Processing: The merchant receives the order details and processes the transaction using their current payment provider. You remain the merchant of record for every sale.
• Fulfillment and Support: You handle all aspects of fulfillment, including shipping and returns, just as you would for an order placed on your own website. Customer service and post-purchase communication also remain under your control.
• Transaction Fees: Merchants pay a small fee on completed purchases made through ChatGPT. This fee structure is similar to other online marketplaces. The service is free for users, and the fee does not affect the price of the products or their ranking in search results.
• Customer Relationships: The protocol is designed to help merchants maintain direct relationships with their customers. You receive the customer's information needed to fulfill the order and can communicate with them directly regarding their purchase.

Best Practices to Use This Feature

To make the most of the "Buy it in ChatGPT" feature, merchants should focus on optimizing their product data and understanding the conversational context of shopping.

• Optimize Your Product Feed: A high-quality product feed is critical. Use clear, descriptive titles and detailed product descriptions. Include high-resolution images and provide accurate information on pricing and availability. The more comprehensive your data, the better ChatGPT can match your products to user queries.
• Use Descriptive Keywords: Think about how users might ask for your products in a natural conversation. Incorporate long-tail keywords and descriptive phrases in your product information that align with potential user questions.
• Maintain Real-Time Inventory: Ensure your product feed is updated frequently to reflect real-time stock levels. This prevents situations where a user attempts to purchase an out-of-stock item, which can lead to a poor customer experience.
• Offer Competitive Pricing: While ChatGPT does not favor merchants based on price, users can still compare options. Competitive pricing can influence a user's final decision.
• Provide Excellent Customer Service: Since you handle all post-purchase support, providing excellent service is crucial. Promptly answer customer questions and efficiently manage returns or issues. A positive experience will build trust and encourage repeat purchases.
• Monitor Performance: Keep track of sales and traffic coming from ChatGPT. Analyze which products are performing well and identify any patterns in user queries. This data can help you refine your product listings and marketing strategy.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How is payment information kept secure?

Payment security is a core part of the Agentic Commerce Protocol. The system uses encrypted payment tokens, specifically the SharedPaymentToken for Stripe users. These tokens are authorized only for a specific amount and merchant with the user's explicit permission. Raw credit card data is not stored or processed by OpenAI.

Does it cost customers more to use Instant Checkout?

No, the feature is free for buyers. The price of a product is the same whether it is purchased through Instant Checkout or directly on the merchant's website. The feature does not influence product rankings in search results.

Who is the merchant of record for a transaction?

The merchant is always the merchant of record. You process the payment, manage the order, and own the customer relationship. ChatGPT acts as a facilitator to connect the buyer and seller.

What control do merchants have over their products in ChatGPT?

Merchants have full control over their products. You decide which products to include in your feed and can update information at any time. You also manage pricing and inventory. ChatGPT's role is to present your products to relevant users, not to control your business operations.

How are product recommendations ranked?

Product results are organic and based on relevance to the user's query. When multiple merchants sell the same product, ChatGPT considers factors like availability, price, and whether the merchant is the primary seller to optimize the user experience. The availability of Instant Checkout is also a factor, but it does not guarantee a higher ranking.

What happens if a customer needs to return an item?

The merchant handles all returns, refunds, and customer service inquiries. The process is the same as it would be for an order placed on your own website. The order confirmation email from the merchant provides the customer with the necessary contact information to initiate a return or ask a question.