You Can Now Buy Products Directly from ChatGPT, Thanks to Stripe’s Agentic Commerce Protocol

Key takeaways:

• ChatGPT launches Instant Checkout in the U.S., enabling users to shop and pay directly within the chatbot.
• Powered by Stripe's open-source Agentic Commerce Protocol (ACP), the system allows one-click payments and supports both Stripe and third-party processors.
• This could spark Agentic SEO", shifting optimization from keyword-based search toward intent-driven product visibility in AI chatbots.
• E-commerce faces a new wave of disruption, as businesses must adapt to AI-driven shopping or risk losing visibility and sales in the next phase of online retail.

If you're only using ChatGPT to find information, create images, research topics, or discover product suggestions, wake up! The AI chatbot just got its biggest upgrade yet with the introduction of the Agentic Commerce Protocol (ACP).

Marking the start of the agentic AI revolution in e-commerce, users of ChatGPT Plus, Pro, and even Free in the US can now buy directly from Etsy sellers in the U.S. Developed in collaboration with Stripe, ACP offers seamless payments directly within ChatGPT.

What we liked most about this update is that it's open-source, which is essential for the growth of a technology still in its early stages. This enables developers to view the code and contribute to making AI agents more mainstream in the years to come.

Here's How Instant Checkout Works

Suppose you want to buy a new pair of running shoes and ask ChatGPT for suggestions. Until now, ChatGPT would list products it considered relevant to your query.

However, with the new upgrade, you'll now see an instant checkout option for sellers that support the integration. You can simply tap Buy,' enter your payment and shipping details, and complete the purchase. Once done, the merchant handles the order shipment, with ChatGPT playing no further role.

When you place an order through ChatGPT, it sends the details to the merchant's backend via ACP. The merchant then either accepts or declines the order, processes the payment, and confirms it using their existing systems.

ChatGPT functions solely as an AI agent between buyers and sellers, providing users with a smooth one-tap shopping experience while giving sellers exposure to over 700 million weekly ChatGPT users.

Sellers don't necessarily need to switch to Stripe to enable the Instant Checkout option. Even if they use a different payment processor, they can still integrate through Stripe's new Shared Payment Token API or the Delegated Payment Spec within ACP. That said, it's obviously simpler if you're already using Stripe - just add a single line of code and you're done.

Stripe's AI Play

With 1.4million websites already using Stripe and500 million daily API requests, Stripe is already a major player in payment processing. But with ACP, it may have just hit a home run.

For one, it gives Stripe a first-mover advantage and sparks a new race among competitors to integrate agentic AI.

Think about it: now that OpenAI has introduced Instant Checkout, other chatbots like Gemini, Grok, and Claude will likely follow suit. And rather than betting on another payment processor, Stripe will be the natural choice; it's tried and tested. In essence, it could become the de facto payments OS for AI agents.

Of course, Stripe isn't doing this for free; it takes a small commission from sellers on every sale using its proprietary ACP. This unlocks a new revenue stream and positions Stripe for monopolistic control over checkout tech.'

A New Era in AI SEO

ChatGPT says that it doesn't prioritize sellers offering Instant Checkout and only lists products based on the best match for the user's needs. However, it's hard to ignore the potential emergence of a new branch of SEO - one focused on AI visibility.

As more agentic AI integrations emerge, sellers may start optimizing product descriptions and listings to rank higher within chatbots - just like they do for search engines today. This could give rise to a new industry centered on AI-based optimization.

While traditional SEO focuses on keywords, agentic SEO will revolve around intent and conversation. Brands will experiment with prompt-friendly metadata instead of simply stuffing keywords into their descriptions.

Agentic AI adds a new middle layer between the seller and the buyer, where chatbot visibility could soon dictate e-commerce success. This makes AI Marketplace Optimization (AMO) essential for brands hoping to stay competitive.

Although it raises the competitive bar in e-commerce, agentic AI also improves trust and authenticity in product searches. Chatbots typically rank verified sellers higher, which may push more sellers to undergo verification.

Even if you don't use the Instant Checkout option, using ChatGPT (or any other AI chatbot) for product discovery could help filter out bogus or fraudulent sellers, adding a layer of protection against e-commerce scams.

Adapt or Get Eliminated

Like all new technologies, agentic AI checkouts will take time to achieve widespread adoption. Consider the food delivery industry: when online ordering first appeared, many doubted its viability, citing higher costs and quality issues. Today, it boasts a market size of $288.84B.

Similarly, agentic checkouts may face some hurdles along the way - like payment failures, lost shipments, or cancelled orders. But as AI agents become more advanced, the e-commerce industry will eventually perfect this system. This then means that businesses that fail to adapt will be left behind.

So, while the concept of Agentic SEO or chatbot-based product optimization might sound futuristic, that future' is closer than it seems. OpenAI's Agentic Commerce Protocol could very well mark the beginning of a massive transformation in global e-commerce.

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