OpenAI is pushing the boundaries of agentic AI with the launch of Instant Checkout in ChatGPT, a novel feature allowing users to make purchases directly from vendors. Starting today, ChatGPT Plus, Pro, and free users in the United States can utilize this feature for single-item transactions, although currently, it is limited to one merchant.

In a blog update, the company revealed that Instant Checkout was created in collaboration with Stripe and is presently operational with Etsy. Soon, support for “over a million Shopify merchants, including Glossier, SKIMS, Spanx, and Vuori,” will be integrated. OpenAI also shared that the underlying technology will be open source to widen agentic commerce access for additional merchants and developers.

Here’s how it works: when ChatGPT users seek shopping suggestions, the chatbot offers recommendations. If a merchant is compatible with Instant Checkout, users can click “Buy,” verify order specifics, shipping, and payment, completing the purchase without exiting the chat. For subscribers, the system employs the payment method already saved.

OpenAI notes that orders, payments, and fulfillment continue to be handled by the merchant’s current system — ChatGPT serves as a digital personal shopper, easing the information exchange.

The limitation posed by AI agents being unable to finalize purchases for users has been a significant drawback. By introducing Instant Checkout and making the backend technology open source, OpenAI seeks to alter this situation.

This new functionality might disrupt some of OpenAI’s technology rivals. Google is creating its own agentic commerce agent and has unveiled an open-source tool for AI-enhanced purchases, directly competing with OpenAI. At the same time, Amazon is reportedly dissatisfied with AI agents drawing attention away from its storefront at the expense of human customers, which could affect its advertising revenue.

As highlighted by TechCrunch, both companies have a history of leveraging their dominance in ecommerce and search to impose higher fees or eliminate competitors — actions that have resulted in legal disputes. However, if chatbots emerge as the primary entry point for retail transactions, the power dynamics change. This time, it’s the companies behind the bots that hold the advantage. Moreover, by partnering directly with Shopify merchants, OpenAI can sidestep retailers like Amazon, at least for the time being.

The competition is not solitary. Perplexity has rolled out a comparable in-chat shopping and payment capability, while Microsoft provides merchants the option to establish in-chat storefronts via its Copilot Merchant Program.

Disclosure: Ziff Davis, the parent company of Mashable, has filed a lawsuit against OpenAI in April, claiming it violated Ziff Davis copyrights in the training and operation of its AI systems.