ChatGPT isn’t just answering questions anymore – it’s selling you things

Well, AI is now also going to be able to sell you stuff (directly). ChatGPT’s maker, OpenAI, just announced a new feature for ChatGPT, which would allow you to buy stuff directly without having to leave the app or the ChatGPT website. 

ChatGPT gets Instant Checkout feature

This feature is designed to let you buy items from Etsy and Shopify merchants directly from the ChatGPT app and website. The chatbot will be able to look for items that match what you’re searching for. If the seller is on Etsy or uses Shopify, you’ll be able to directly purchase the item through ChatGPT. 

Products that support this feature would have a “Buy” button. You’ll be able to pay with your card or use other payment options. 

The Instant Checkout feature is powered by Stripe’s Agentic Commerce Protocol. The feature is available for ChatGPT Plus, Pro, and Free users based in the United States for now. 

At the moment, you’re only able to buy a single item at a time, but the company says support for carts with multiple items in them is being worked on right now. Eventually, more merchants and regions are also going to be added to the feature. 

Sellers can now start building integration and apply for ChatGPT’s Instant Checkout option. 

Merchants will pay a fee on purchases 

As would be understandable, merchants will have to pay a fee on completed purchases. OpenAI claims that Instant Checkout items are not preferred in product results, though. 

When more than one merchant is selling the same item, ChatGPT is said to consider availability, price, quality, and whether Instant Checkout is enabled. OpenAI says that this is done to optimize the user experience. 

ChatGPT also recently added parental controls, which is a great addition and is more important than ever at the moment. Also, the chatbot will be able to better recognize potential signs that a teen may harm themselves, and if needed, parents will be contacted. 

ChatGPT is evolving

What started as a generative AI chatbot is now gaining more and more features and popularity. I personally think that adding the ability to buy stuff on ChatGPT is a useful tweak, but still, I personally would be a little skeptical of buying that way. But of course, maybe in the future, I’d get used to it. After all, at the beginning, I was skeptical of buying stuff online anyway. 

“Iconic Phones” is coming this Fall!

Rediscover some of the most unique and memorable phones of the last two decades! “Iconic Phones” is a beautifully illustrated book that we’ve been working on for over a year – and it’s coming out in just a couple short month!