TLDR: OpenAI has just launched an instant shopping feature inside ChatGPT, starting with Etsy sellers in the US and soon expanding to Shopify merchants. This shift could transform online shopping by making product discovery conversational, checkout frictionless, and the whole experience AI-first. Sellers on Etsy don’t need to take any action to enable it, although there will be some code changes when it rolls out to Shopify merchants. Buyers will be able to complete purchases without ever leaving ChatGPT.
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ChatGPT’s agentic shopping system
ChatGPT now supports agentic commerce. Shoppers in the US can already browse and purchase from Etsy directly inside ChatGPT, with Shopify support coming soon, particularly for merchants using Stripe. For sellers, it’s automatic: Etsy listings are already being pulled into the system, with no manual setup needed.
This marks OpenAI’s clearest push into becoming not just a search-and-assist tool but also a commercial engine, and a direct challenger to Amazon and Google’s dominance in product discovery.
How is this different from traditional online shopping?
Unlike going to Etsy, Shopify, or Amazon directly, shoppers won’t visit individual websites anymore. Instead, they’ll ask ChatGPT in natural language “What are the best running shoes under £100?” or “What lamp will go with my Scandinavian-style living room?” and then complete the purchase within the chat itself.
This means:
- No browsing across multiple tabs.
- No need to manually compare.
- Instant checkout, with ChatGPT holding your payment details.
Essentially, product discovery becomes conversation-first shopping.
How do Etsy sellers enable this?
For now, Etsy merchants in the US don’t need to do anything, it’s automatic. If you’re selling on Etsy, your products may already be purchasable through ChatGPT. The expansion to Shopify is planned soon, making it accessible to an even wider merchant base, especially for merchants who use Stripe as a payment option.
Who can use it and where?
Right now, the feature is only available in the US. UK and other international merchants will have to wait a little longer, though expansion seems imminent.
How will shopping behaviour change?
This is where things get interesting. Shoppers will shift from keyword-driven search to open-ended conversations. Instead of typing “Christmas party dress Etsy” into Google, someone might ask ChatGPT:
- “What’s trending in dresses for holiday parties under £150?”
- “Which trousers will match this jacket?”
- “Show me chairs that suit a mid-century living room.”
That’s a massive behavioural shift, as browsing turns into dialogue, and ChatGPT becomes the curator of these products rather than the consumer doing the legwork and research.
What’s in it for shoppers?
The key benefits:
- Speed: No need to trawl through endless product pages.
- Personalisation: Recommendations can adapt to preferences, context, and even images you provide.
- Convenience: Payment is handled within ChatGPT, reducing clicks.
In short: less friction, more tailored discovery.
Order confirmations and privacy concerns
Currently, it looks like order confirmations still come from the vendor (Etsy or Shopify), since ChatGPT is essentially skipping the buyer straight to the checkout process.
On privacy: OpenAI says it protects payment data like any standard gateway. In fact, sellers might see less user data than before, since they won’t have browsing history or on-site cookie data to analyse. ChatGPT mainly passes on the necessary payment and fulfilment details to the merchant.
How are payments and merchant dashboards handled?
Payments are processed through the merchant’s usual checkout system (e.g., Stripe). The merchant validates the order, handles shipping, taxes, and risk checks. Sales will appear in dashboards (Etsy or Shopify) as though they came directly, potentially with the option to label ChatGPT as a source field.
Attribution is a question mark, though. Standard tools like Google Analytics won’t automatically track ChatGPT as a source. Tools and platforms like ASK BOSCO® could help merchants identify and tag those conversions. Making reporting easier when merchants want to identify source tracking and compare to see which channel is bringing in the most traffic.
Will other AI platforms follow?
Almost certainly. Competitors like Google’s Gemini and others are expected to roll out similar e-commerce integrations, although nothing has been announced at this stage. And while ChatGPT’s system is currently organic, a paid advertising model, where merchants pay to have their products prioritised, can be expected within the next 12 months. Think of it as the PPC of LLMs.
How will this affect affiliates and influencers?
This new shopping method could disrupt affiliate marketing significantly. Voucher-code affiliates may lose out if buyers can simply find and apply discounts directly in ChatGPT. However, influencer-driven content and high-quality affiliate blogs may become more valuable, since LLMs will learn from and amplify quality content.
Final thoughts
ChatGPT’s instant shopping is going to change how we think about ecommerce. By embedding checkout into conversations, OpenAI is positioning itself as a discovery-to-purchase funnel in one place, challenging the search engines and marketplaces that dominate today.
For merchants, it’s both an opportunity and a wake-up call: attribution, affiliate relationships, and marketing strategies will need to adapt quickly. For shoppers, the promise is clear, AI-powered convenience, faster purchases, and more personalised recommendations. Got questions about the new agentic shopping update? Please get in contact with our team, at Modo25, or you can email our team at team@modo25.com.
