Artificial intelligence firm OpenAI is developing a built-in checkout system for ChatGPT, allowing users to complete purchases without leaving the app, a move aimed at turning the chatbot’s massive user base into a new source of e-commerce revenue.
OpenAI plans to earn commissions on transactions processed through the feature, according to a Financial Times report.
The system is being developed in partnership with Shopify, the e-commerce platform, and early versions have already been shown to select brands.
At present, product recommendations in ChatGPT redirect users to external retailer websites.
The new checkout functionality would streamline this process, keeping users within the ChatGPT interface from discovery to purchase.
The integration reflects OpenAI’s broader ambitions to move beyond subscriptions and deepen monetisation of its fast-growing platform.
The initiative comes as OpenAI seeks to strengthen its business model. While the company, led by CEO Sam Altman, reported a loss of approximately $5 billion last year, it said its annualised revenue run rate rose to $10 billion as of June 2025, nearly double the figure from the end of 2024.
Shopping experience enhanced with GPT-4o
The forthcoming checkout tool builds on updates introduced earlier this year, when OpenAI launched enhanced shopping features within ChatGPT.
Rolled out in April, the update enabled users to receive personalised product recommendations through natural language queries.
These results, now available to users across the Free, Plus, and Pro tiers, include product images, reviews, specifications, and direct links to purchase pages.
Supported categories currently include electronics, home goods, fashion, and cosmetics.
Unlike traditional search engines, ChatGPT’s shopping results are ad-free and curated using structured data from external sources, including product descriptions, pricing, and reviews.
OpenAI has stated it does not receive affiliate fees or advertising revenue for these listings.
The company is positioning ChatGPT as a cleaner, more intuitive alternative to existing search and shopping platforms, particularly amid growing criticism of Google’s ad-heavy results. By integrating payment capabilities directly into the chatbot, OpenAI aims to remove friction from the buying process while creating a new revenue channel in the process.
OpenAI to earn commission for orders
OpenAI would receive a commission from merchants who complete orders using the integrated payment tool under the proposed system, generating additional revenue for the business.
OpenAI is still working on the feature, but it has reportedly been showing brands early versions of the tool in partnership with Shopify, an e-commerce platform.
A partnership between the two companies was announced earlier this year after ChatGPT launched an improved shopping feature that aims to improve the way reviews and products are displayed.
Product recommendations in ChatGPT currently direct users to the websites of outside retailers; however, the new checkout feature would expedite this process and retain transactions within the app.
With its continued rapid growth, the initiative may help OpenAI diversify its revenue.
The Sam Altman-led company reported a loss of about $5 billion last year but said its annualised revenue run rate increased to $10 billion in June 2025 from $5.5 billion at the end of 2024.
The launch of ChatGPT shopping feature
OpenAI has unveiled a significant update to ChatGPT’s search features with the goal of giving consumers a more seamless and customised online shopping experience.
OpenAI announced the new feature in April, and ChatGPT’s default AI model, GPT-4o, now offers it.
It is available to all users, including those who are not logged in and those using the Free, Plus, and Pro tiers.
The shopping features allow users to receive personalised product recommendations with images, user reviews, and direct links to purchase pages when they search for products on ChatGPT.
At that time, OpenAI announced that it will initially support electronics, home goods, fashion, and cosmetics.
Users can ask very specific questions in a natural language and get personalised answers.
Crucially, there will be no ads in the shopping results, which are decided independently using structured metadata from outside sources, such as product descriptions, prices, and reviews.
OpenAI further reaffirmed its dedication to an ad-free shopping experience by confirming that it does not receive commissions or affiliate fees from purchases made through the platform.
The launch coincides with escalating competition from Google, whose search results have come under fire for being overflowing with sponsored advertisements. OpenAI is marketing ChatGPT as a more hygienic and user-friendly alternative.
