ChatGPT Gets Instant Checkout With Agentic Commerce Protocol

ChatGPT now gives you the facility to buy products within the chat. Honestly! This is a great move, made possible with the help of the Agentic Commerce Protocol. Now, you don’t have to go to xyz website to buy a product. Simply type the product inside ChatGPT, and it will show you the list of products inside the chat. Click to “buy now”, add your details, and proceed to checkout. As simple as it is! 

This isn’t just a new fancy update but a complete new era for both AI and e-commerce. Initially, what seemed a dream has become a reality with the collaboration of Stripe and OpenAI. You’re not dreaming, instant checkout is the new reality. Now, AI isn’t limited only to showing you the best products, but you can take commerce actions through it! 

In this blog, we’ll discuss: 

1. What’s the instant checkout exactly? 
2. How does it work? 
3. What’s the impact of it on e-commerce, SEO, and businesses?
4. Lastly, how can you evolve with this new trend? 

By the end of this blog, you’ll be crystal clear that is it’s just the hype or the next big strategy you should opt for your business. 

What’s Instant Checkout and Agentic Commerce Protocol (ACP)? 

Simply, instant checkout is a new feature developed by OpenAI and Stripe. You might e wondering, why? Necessity is the mother of invention. heard it in your childhood? That’s exactly why instant checkout with the Agentic Commerce Protocol has been created. You can understand it this way: 

Before: You saw an ad on social media, you click on “buy on” and it lands you on their website, then you have to fill out a long form, choose from checkout options, and maze of tens of other pages. 

Now: It’s simple, all within chat in ChatGPT. One research, one confirmation, and the order is done with checkout! 

What does it mean to you as a user? 

Let me explain with an example. 

You write to ChatGPT: “ Show me the latest iPhone accessories”. 

ChatGPT will show you a range of products. 

• You like a product
• You click on instant checkout, on the same page, you provide your address and payment confirmation, and boom, it’s done! 

Now, the order will automatically reach the backend system of the merchant. (Obviously! Because it’s integrated) And then your delivery process will start. Hope it’s clear? 

If you ask me to wrap it up, “ The conversation within ChatGPT is the new e-commerce now”. It’s a real-time shopping experience, all within ChatGPT. 

What does it mean to you as a merchant? 

This is where things get more interesting. Let’s say you’re a seller, running your Shopify store or personal business website. 

1. Firstly, ACP ( Agentic Commerce Protocol) doesn’t interfere with your control. You’re the owner and the lead. 
2. Fulfilment, payment, and returns are all under your control. 
3. ChatGPT is just a bridge, not a middleman. 
4. The payment system is through a secure token ( Shared Payment Token). It means the user’s payment info is completely safe and encrypted. 

The best part? ACP is an open standard. Don’t scratch your head, let me explain. It means any e-commerce system can smoothly plug it into its backend system. Meaning, the integration isn’t limited to ChatGPT and OpenAI; in fact, Shopify, Etsy, and other platforms can also connect! 

What are the Scope and Limitations of Instant Checkout With Agentic Commerce Protocol? 

1. For the time being, it’s available for the U.S users only. 
2. Currently, it’s supporting only single-item checkout. Meaning, you can buy only one product per checkout. 
3. For Etsy users, the game is already on. I mean, integration is live, and for Shopify users, the integration is coming soon. 

If you ask me, it won’t be wrong to say, we’re in a new era of Agentic Commerce. ACP is the new future of digital shopping, smooth, safe, and chat-based! 

It’s a wake-up call for the businesses that think it’s just hype and it’ll vanish. No, dear readers, it’s not a trend or a hype anymore; it’s the true reality. 

Stripe Official Newsroom states that: 

“Stripe powers Instant Checkout in ChatGPT and helps merchants grow in the era of agentic commerce.” 

No need to worry, let me share step by step how this instant checkout can impact your business and how you can take the most benefit from it. 

How Instant Checkout With Agentic Commerce Protocol Impacts Your Business? 

Honestly, this is a gigantic move that’s no less of an earthquake for the digital world, especially the e-commerce. 

• ChatGPT is a Complete E-commerce Channel Now: 

Initially, ChatGPT was just an AI bot. We’re using it for ideas, writing, or suggestions. But now the game has been changed. It’s a complete, safe, smooth, and near-future most used e-commerce channel. Why? It’s because everything that creates ease wins people’s hearts, and already ChatGPT is receiving queries from 700 million people a week. Rest, you can do the maths! 

• Simple and Easy Buying for Users: 

People hate waiting, long procedures, and slow-loading pages. And instant checkout with an agentic commerce protocol is solving their problem. No multiple tabs, no cart loading, no repeated logins. Simply go to ChatGPT: “Ask, inquire, decide, and buy”. That’s it and that’s all. It’s best for people looking for easy and instant actions. Btw, who isn’t looking for it? 

• A New Sales Channel for Merchants: 

You have a Shopify store, you have a website, your socials are optimised, good, but if your products aren’t showing in ChatGPT results, you’re losing money on the table. ( In the near future, unless you’re in the US). 

Even if you’re outside the U.S. and ACP isn’t available in your region yet, don’t just sit back. I’ll advise start now, because ChatGPT can still recommend your products to millions of users worldwide. But if you’re in the U.S., what are you waiting for? Now is the time to plug your store into this feature and become an early mover before the crowd catches up!

• An Initiation of the Agentic Commerce Era: 

AI isn’t just an information bot anymore; it’s now capable of handling real transactions. In simple words, users can discover, decide, and directly shop through AI. This means you can use AI as a channel to manage purchases and simplify your customers’ buying journey. The result? A smoother sales funnel, more conversions, and ultimately, more business for you!

• Market Potential and Competition: 

OpenAI has taken a big step. It’s now competing with giants like Google, Amazon, and Shopify. It’s because users can now but within ChatGPT. As a result, it’ll impact traffic and revenue, impacting the whole digital commerce market. 

Niche Impact of Instant Checkout With Agentic Commerce Protocol 

Before diving into the impact, I just wanted to let you understand the magnitude of the digital market and e-commerce: 

Digital marketing and e-commerce together form a multi-trillion-dollar industry. Statista reports global e-commerce sales are expected to surpass US$3.66tn by 2025. 

Now, with that being said, you can easily understand how this instant checkout with ACP can reshape the complete digital landscape! 

• E-commerce/ Online Retailers: 

Till now, you have had two main sales resources: organic search and paid ads. Now, you have a third and a smarter sales channel: ChatGPT. If you connect your store with ACP, it can directly recommend your product to your audience within ChatGPT. Simply, you get a new AI conversation-based revenue stream! 

And if you’re in the US and on top of that, you’re an Etsy merchant, you can enable your instant checkout directly in ChatGPT. And if you’re a Shopify user, don’t worry, it’s just on the way. ( Coming Soon) 

• Marketing/ SEO teams: 

Honestly, ask yourself if you have a query, where do you go first, ChatGPT or Google? You know the answer. If users ask ChatGPT about any xyz product, it’s obvious they won’t come to buy it from Google; they’ll buy right there from it. So, what does it mean for you as a marketer or SEO team: 

• You have to evolve your strategy. 
• The game is above keywords and backlinks now. 
• You have to focus on AI-optimised, conversational product visibility. 

• Developers/ Tech Persons: 

As a developer, what challenge this trend brings for you is to learn how you can integrate it into your apps, plugins, and backend system. ACP is an open standard, meaning you don’t have to fret much and will integrate easily. It’ll create a new ecosystem, just like the app store reformed the smartphone economy, in the same way, ACP is going to revolutionise AI-commerce! 

• Small Businesses/ Niche Brands: 

Now, without heavy websites and ads, you can get your product to appear in relevant chat queries within ChatGPT. If you’re an Etsy merchant, the option is live for you and coming soon for Shopify users, but the wait is worth it. In the meantime, you can plan properly, see how things are going for Etsy merchants, and keep your eyes on the official APC website. As soon as it launches, take the most benefit out of it. It’s the best option for limited budget brands for a fair exposure model. 

What Should Be Your Next Step? 

Okay, enough buildup. I hope the whole story is clear. What should you actually do now to stay above the mist? First of all, be proactive, be a trend setter, not a follower. Instant Checkout with ACP is new, so if you adopt this now, you’ll stay in the lead.

1. Evaluate your product line. See which products are ready for “chat commerce,” like single-item products or digital goods. 
2. Check out your backend payment system. If you already use Stripe, perfect. Otherwise, you might have to integrate ACP specs. Plan ahead. 
3. Create your product feed and API endpoint. On the APC official website, “Product Feed Spec” is public. So make your product data ready according to it for future integration. 
4. Keep your eyes open. Etsy is already onboarded. Shopify is next in line. As soon as it’s open, apply. 
5. Start small. Upload your products, see user behaviour, analyse, learn, and adapt. 
6. Chat commerce isn’t replacing search. It’s just an add-on channel. Don’t forget your old friend SEO. Keep both side by side for best results. 

In short, if you want to stay in the online e-commerce world, chat commerce isn’t optional anymore; it’s a necessity you have to opt for.  

How Merchants Can Sign Up For Instant Checkout With ACP? 

If you’re a merchant, you can apply to have your products included in ChatGPT search results and enable Instant Checkout via ACP.

1. Etsy and Shopify sellers are already eligible and don’t need to apply.
2. OpenAI is onboarding merchants on a rolling basis through an online application form

Risks Associated with Instant Checkout With Agentic Commerce Protocol: 

Every new system has some challenges, and ACP too has. So, be vigilant: 

1. AI-based transactions are fast. Plan for fraud risk and chargebacks before. Keep your verification system strong. 
2. The ACP integration system is new to merchants. And it’s definite that we’ll take some time to understand it completely. 
3. While, majority of people can rely on ChatGPT but when it comes to spending money, people trust those whom they know, so trust building will still stay in the game. 
4. While it’s free for users but like any other system, merchants have to pay a small fee per sale. 

Pro Tip from New Horizon: 

When you’re eligible to start, don’t sit back and watch. Start timely and smartly. Test safely, learn from your mistakes, build trust with your audience, and evolve with the change. 

Takeaway: 

Long story short, ChatGPT+ ACP is the new e-commerce world. It’s not just a new update, instead a complete paradigm shift where AI can show your product to your audience and even sell with the complete checkout process, and you don’t have to even lift your finger. But the best part? All control will still be in your hands. Bravo! . 

So, if you’re a merchant, developer, marketer, or SEO strategist, this is the right time to understand and integrate ACP into your system. 

We hope this guide clears your concerns. If you still face any issues in understanding Instant checkout with ACP, our experts are just a message away. Thank you!