OpenAI pushes into e-commerce with instant checkout and a new merchant protocol
Oct 1, 2025
OpenAI is turning ChatGPT into more than a conversational tool: it’s now a shopping hub. With Instant Checkout and a new open-source commerce protocol, the company is positioning its chatbot at the crossroads of search, AI, and retail—challenging traditional e-commerce giants while raising questions for merchants about customer loyalty and control.
Key takeaways
- Instant checkout launch: U.S. ChatGPT users can now buy products from Etsy sellers and some Shopify merchants directly inside the chatbot, limited to single-item purchases for now.
- New commerce protocol: OpenAI introduced the Agentic Commerce Protocol, an open-source standard that lets merchants integrate their products into ChatGPT and make them shoppable.
- Merchant implications: While sellers gain exposure and sales, analysts warn they risk losing direct customer relationships as purchases shift away from their websites.
- Competitive landscape: Amazon and Walmart are not yet participating, but the move positions OpenAI as a disruptor in both search and e-commerce, areas long dominated by Google and retail giants.
- User adoption growth: ChatGPT’s weekly user base has grown to around 700 million globally, making it an attractive channel for retailers and a testbed for agent-driven commerce.
- Future of AIshopping: Instant Checkout and the new protocol lay the groundwork for fully autonomous AI agents that could one day manage purchases, bookings, and services across multiple platforms.
Why it matters for hospitality
If ChatGPT becomes a trusted place to shop, booking travel and hotel stays could be next. The same frictionless checkout used for Etsy products could easily extend to room reservations, transfers, or dining upgrades. That creates both an opportunity and a risk for hoteliers: access to a massive distribution channel, but with the potential loss of direct guest relationships and upselling moments. For hotels, the question will be whether to integrate early into AI-driven commerce or risk ceding ground to OTAs, tech giants, and now OpenAI itself.
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