ChatGPT Latest Shopping Feature: The Next Frontier of AI-Powered E-Commerce

ChatGPT is evolving from a source of advice into a full-fledged shopping assistant. More than 700 million people use ChatGPT each week for everyday tasks – including discovering products they love – and now OpenAI is taking first steps toward letting ChatGPT help people buy those products too . This upcoming ChatGPT Shopping feature promises to transform how we find and purchase items by combining natural conversational search with seamless in-chat checkout. 

How ChatGPT Shopping Works – From Conversation to Checkout

Product Discovery via Conversation: When users ask shopping-related questions—like “best running shoes under $100”—ChatGPT detects the intent and shows relevant product recommendations in a visual carousel with images, prices, and short AI-generated descriptions. These results are organic, unsponsored, and ranked purely by relevance—not ads. The AI factors in query details, product data (like price and reviews), and user preferences to suggest the best options. Users can refine their needs in conversation, just like talking to a personal shopper. For example, if you specify a budget or certain features, the AI weighs those factors to filter products.

Reference Results for: “Best coffee machines under ₹10,000”

Instant Checkout: The breakthrough feature is that ChatGPT not only finds products but can help you buy them without leaving the chat. OpenAI has introduced an Instant Checkout option inside ChatGPT, powered by a new Agentic Commerce Protocol developed with Stripe . If a recommended product supports Instant Checkout, a “Buy” button appears. Users can tap Buy, confirm shipping and payment details, and place the order entirely within the chat interface. 

For now, this supports single-item purchases (a one-tap checkout for a single product), but multi-item cart functionality is coming next. When an order is placed, ChatGPT securely passes the order details to the merchant; the merchant handles payment processing, fulfillment, and customer service using their existing systems . In essence, ChatGPT acts as your AI shopping agent – it finds what you need, then securely relays your order to the seller (like a digital personal shopper coordinating the purchase).

Payment and Security: During Instant Checkout, existing ChatGPT subscribers can even pay with their card on file, and other users can use standard cards or express payment options. All actions are user-confirmed step by step, and payment tokens are encrypted and restricted to the specific purchase amount and merchant . OpenAI stresses that users stay in control and data sharing is minimal – only what’s needed to complete the order is shared, with permission . Merchants pay a small transaction fee for sales made via ChatGPT, but users pay no extra cost, and ChatGPT’s product rankings remain unbiased (Instant Checkout availability does not guarantee higher ranking – factors like price, quality, and item availability matter more for a good user experience).

Agentic Commerce Protocol (ACP): To enable this new commerce flow, OpenAI has open-sourced the Agentic Commerce Protocol – an open standard that defines how AI agents (like ChatGPT) can interact with businesses to execute purchases . ACP was co-developed with Stripe and other partners to be flexible across payment processors and platforms. It allows merchants to integrate without overhauling their backend: if a merchant already uses Stripe, enabling “agentic” payments can take as little as one line of code . Other payment systems can be linked via Stripe’s shared payment tokens or by adopting the ACP delegated payments spec . Crucially, ACP keeps the merchant as the merchant-of-record – the business retains control over order fulfillment, returns, customer communication, etc., just as if the sale happened on their own site . In short, OpenAI’s ChatGPT will facilitate the transaction, but merchants maintain their direct relationship with the customer. By open-sourcing this protocol, OpenAI invites more merchants and developers to start building integrations, signaling that ChatGPT’s shopping ecosystem is meant to be broad and inclusive.

For more details regarding ACP read here.

India’s First AI-Powered Conversational Payment Launch: Razorpay × NPCI × OpenAI 

Announced on: October 9, 2025

Format: Private Beta (Pilot Phase)

The Breakthrough: Conversational Commerce Meets UPI

Razorpay, in collaboration with NPCI (the body behind UPI) and OpenAI’s ChatGPT, has launched India’s first AI-native payment experience inside a chat interface — dubbed Agentic Payments.

This innovation allows Indian users to not only find products via ChatGPT but also complete purchases using their preferred method of payment: UPI — without switching apps or typing PINs.

Imagine saying:

“Order my usual groceries”

→ ChatGPT discovers the products

→ Confirms your basket

→ Makes the payment using UPI

→ All within one conversation

No PINs. No OTPs. No app switch.

The Technical Foundation: Agentic Payments + UPI Innovation

At the core of this transformation are two advanced NPCI frameworks:

UPI Circle: Lets users define trusted agents (like ChatGPT) who can initiate payments on their behalf

UPI Reserve Pay: Enables pre-authorized, usage-capped transactions so the user remains protected, but no longer needs to authenticate every purchase

Together, these allow ChatGPT to securely act as your AI-powered shopping assistant + payment agent, without violating security principles.

Security-first model:

AI can only spend within limits set by the user

All activity is traceable and audit-friendly

Users retain full control and revocation rights

First Use Cases in India

This pilot rollout showcases real-world commerce powered by AI in India:

BigBasket (Tata enterprise)

ChatGPT helps you search for groceries

Adds items to your cart

Makes payment via Razorpay and UPI

Fully conversational, app-free experience

Vodafone Idea (Vi)

Recharge your mobile plan by chatting

ChatGPT fills in details and confirms payment

No app forms, no PINs – just say what you want

Supported by banking partners:

Axis Bank

Airtel Payments Bank

These partners ensure the payment experience is compliant, bank-grade secure, and future-ready.

Key Insight: ChatGPT is becoming not just a tool for search or chat — but a true digital storefront powered by AI + UPI, with India leading the world in this model.

Key Quotes

“With Agentic Payments, we’re enabling effortless shopping through AI assistants.”

– Preeti Jain, Product Head, BigBasket

“AI will be the storefront. UPI will be the secure, invisible backbone.”

– Razorpay at Global Fintech Fest

Sign Up for Early Access

Businesses and individuals can apply for early access via Razorpay here.

Coming Soon to ChatGPT Shopping: What to Expect

ChatGPT Shopping is rapidly evolving. Below are the confirmed upcoming features and expansions that OpenAI and its partners are working on:

Currently, purchases are limited to one product at a time. Soon, users will be able to add multiple items through conversation and check out in a single order—making it ideal for weekly groceries, bundled shopping, and more.

Beyond Etsy and Shopify, OpenAI plans to onboard a wide range of merchants, from large retailers to local sellers. A merchant sign-up form is live, and categories will likely expand to include services and events as well.

A new system is in development to let merchants directly upload their product catalogs to ChatGPT. This will allow real-time updates on inventory, pricing, and details—ensuring better accuracy and control for sellers.

ChatGPT will become more tailored to individual users by remembering preferences such as favorite colors, sizes, past purchases, or specific brands. Features like saved profiles, wishlists, and reorder memory are expected.

Currently supporting Stripe (globally) and UPI (in India), ChatGPT is expected to integrate PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Buy Now Pay Later services, and regional wallets like Pix (Brazil) and SEPA (Europe).

OpenAI is working on stronger moderation, fraud prevention, and user-level controls. Users may soon be able to block specific merchants or set purchase limits. Spend caps are already being tested in the India pilot rollout.

Future updates may let users book services like flights, salon appointments, or utility subscriptions via chat. The Vodafone recharge demo in India already hints at these broader service integrations becoming a reality.

The Business Impact of ChatGPT Shopping

ChatGPT Shopping is more than just a new checkout feature — it signals a paradigm shift in how consumers discover and buy products. For business owners, this change is both an opportunity and a challenge. Here’s what it means and how to act.

1. Shift From Keyword-Based Discovery to AI-Curated Recommendations

In traditional search (Google, Amazon, etc.), businesses compete on keywords, SEO ranking, and paid ad placements. In ChatGPT Shopping, product discovery happens via conversational intent. The AI interprets context, preferences, and query nuances to recommend products organically.

Implication:

Businesses must optimize their product data (titles, descriptions, reviews, specs) not just for keywords, but for AI understanding.

Generic copy won’t work. Instead, use detailed, benefit-driven descriptions that answer common user questions.

Invest in structured data and natural language clarity.

2. Website Visibility Now Requires AI-Crawler Readiness

ChatGPT uses its own crawler (OAI-SearchBot) and partner data sources. If your site blocks this bot, you won’t show up in ChatGPT product results.

Action Points:

Audit your robots.txt file and ensure OAI-SearchBot is allowed.

Ensure product pages are crawlable, well-structured, and follow schema markup standards (Product, Offer, Review, etc.).

Maintain fast-loading, mobile-friendly product pages — ChatGPT may prioritize sources that are fast and reliable.

3. New Distribution Channel, New Optimization Strategy

Just like businesses optimized for Google Search and Instagram Shopping, they’ll now need to optimize for ChatGPT and similar AI interfaces.

What you should do:

Prepare to submit product feeds directly to OpenAI (feed submission portal expected soon).

Use structured JSON or API-based feeds if possible for large inventories.

Focus on clean data: clear product names, high-quality images, accurate prices, shipping details, and customer reviews.

4. Be Present Across Platforms — Think Multi-Channel, Multi-Agent

Users might search for your product on Google today. Tomorrow, they’ll ask ChatGPT, Gemini, or even WhatsApp-based AI agents. You need to be searchable and shoppable everywhere.

Recommendations:

Register your products with Google Shopping, Facebook Catalog, Amazon, AND platforms like Shopify that are already partnering with OpenAI.

Use Shopify or similar platforms that auto-integrate into ChatGPT’s network (Shopify merchants don’t need to apply separately).

Build a unified product data layer that can syndicate to multiple platforms (Google, ChatGPT, Flipkart, Instagram).

5. Conversational UX Is the New Sales Funnel

Instead of browsing a category page, consumers will ask questions like:

“What’s a good eco-friendly face cream under ₹500 with SPF?”

“Find me a desk lamp that fits on a small study table.”

Your product won’t be found unless your product metadata answers such questions clearly and contextually.

Key optimization tactics:

Align your product descriptions to real-world use cases and conversational triggers.

Add FAQ-style details directly in product pages (e.g. “Is this safe for sensitive skin?”).

Include multiple tagged attributes (e.g., budget, use-case, benefits, size, color, compatibility).

6. Enable Fast, Frictionless Payment Options

With ChatGPT supporting Instant Checkout (via Stripe, UPI, etc.), users can complete purchases directly in the chat interface.

Your next steps:

If you’re using Stripe: apply for integration with ChatGPT’s Agentic Commerce Protocol (ACP).

If you’re in India: watch Razorpay’s pilot, and be ready to participate when public enrollment begins.

If you’re on Shopify: your products will soon be eligible automatically.

Consider supporting BNPL (Buy Now Pay Later), Apple/Google Pay, and other wallets when broader integration launches.

7.  Build for the AI-First User Journey

A growing segment of users won’t visit your website at all — they’ll interact with an AI assistant. That assistant will compare options, read reviews, and make suggestions.

What to do now:

Focus on AI-as-a-distribution-channel. Your website isn’t the only storefront anymore.

Make your data machine-readable and context-rich.

Be discoverable within AI ecosystems, not just on traditional web search.

8. Prepare for Attribution, Analytics & Measurement Shifts

As ChatGPT and similar tools become shopping channels, you’ll need to measure attribution differently.

Suggestions:

Track visits via utm_source=chatgpt.com — this is how OpenAI tags outbound clicks.

Monitor referral spikes and optimize high-performing listings.

When direct product feed integrations go live, track how many conversions occur without the user ever landing on your website.

“If you’re a business owner, now is the time to prepare. The shift to AI-native shopping won’t replace your website overnight—but it will change where and how customers find your products. Brands that adapt early will gain an edge in discoverability, trust, and conversions.”

Further Reading

For a detailed, step-by-step guide on how to get your products discovered and recommended inside ChatGPT, including instructions for enabling product visibility and optimizing listings, refer to:

How to Get ChatGPT to Recommend Your Products First: Read here

This article covers:

How to allow ChatGPT’s crawler (OAI-SearchBot) to access your site

How to track referral traffic from ChatGPT

What kind of product data works best

How to prepare for feed submissions when they go live

“As AI redefines the online shopping experience, early adoption will separate market leaders from laggards. Businesses that prepare now for conversational commerce—across visibility, product data, and checkout readiness—will thrive in this new era of AI-powered customer journeys. ChatGPT Shopping isn’t a feature, it’s the future of digital retail.”

Shikha Kumari is an SEO, AEO, LEO — Organic Growth Expert with 7+ years of experience helping brands stay discoverable across platforms.

Published on: Tuesday, November 04, 2025, 12:32 PM IST