OpenAI and Stripe Enable In-Chat Purchases with ChatGPT

OpenAI has partnered with Stripe to introduce a new feature that allows ChatGPT users in the U.S. to make purchases directly within the chat interface. This feature, known as 'Checkout in ChatGPT,' is initially available for Etsy merchants and will soon expand to over a million Shopify merchants. The service currently supports single-item purchases, with plans to include multi-item carts and expand to more regions in the future announced on their website.

The feature is powered by the Agentic Commerce Protocol (ACP), a new open standard co-developed by OpenAI and Stripe. This protocol enables seamless transactions by allowing users to ask for product recommendations and complete purchases without leaving the chat. When a user decides to buy, they are presented with a Stripe-powered checkout inline in the chat. The transaction is secured using a Shared Payment Token (SPT), which ensures that payment credentials are not exposed.

For merchants, this integration offers a new way to reach a vast audience while maintaining control over their payment systems and customer relationships. The ACP is open-sourced, allowing more merchants and developers to integrate this technology into their systems. This move marks a significant step towards agentic commerce, where AI not only assists in finding products but also facilitates the purchasing process.