OpenAI is taking a new step in its ambition to turn ChatGPT into a fully-fledged retail channel: the company has signed a deal with PayPal to enable direct and seamless payments within the chatbot interface.
From chat to checkout
ChatGPT users will soon be able to pay for purchases with their PayPal account without leaving the chat environment. In the words of PayPal CEO Alex Chriss, this collaboration will allow people to go from a chat conversation to the checkout in just a few clicks. For sellers, it means they can make their product catalogs accessible to consumers via ChatGPT. The feature is expected to be widely available in the course of 2026.
It is the next step in the rollout of “agentic commerce”: AI agents can discover products, recommend them, and even complete the purchase on behalf of users. OpenAI recently developed a new Instant Checkout feature in collaboration with Stripe. It is already available to Etsy users in the US and will soon be extended to more than a million Shopify sellers. OpenAI has also already signed a deal with Walmart.
Observers believe that e-commerce via AI agents could completely transform the online shopping experience, although there is also skepticism. The big challenge for retailers will be to maintain trust, visibility, and relevance in a digital world where customers may never again come into direct contact with the store.
