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Digital shopping is currently undergoing a paradigm shift. ChatGPT, previously known primarily as an assistant for answering questions and searching for information, is becoming a shopping platform. With "Buy it in ChatGPT," OpenAI has taken the first steps toward Agentic Commerce – that is, AI-powered shopping.
In the future, ChatGPT will not only be able to recommend products but also purchase them directly for users. Over 700 million people already use ChatGPT weekly – the potential for businesses is enormous and growing. With this new feature, ChatGPT could evolve into a kind of personal shopping assistant that finds suitable products and handles the entire purchasing process right within the chat. This vision of seamless AI shopping marks the beginning of a new e-commerce era in which AI agents, customers, and merchants work hand in hand.
The heart of Buy it in ChatGPT is the Instant Checkout. This feature allows users to purchase products directly within the chat window without having to switch to external online shops. At launch, all ChatGPT users can order products from Etsy sellers directly in the chat. Soon, over a million Shopify merchants are expected to be integrated as well – well-known brands like Glossier, SKIMS, and Spanx are already in the pipeline.
Here is how it works in practice: If a user asks, for example, for "gift ideas for coffee lovers," ChatGPT provides a list of relevant products – organic and not influenced by advertisements. For every suggested item, it is indicated whether "Buy" is available. If a product supports Instant Checkout, the user can purchase it with a single click, confirm their shipping and payment details, and complete the purchase without leaving the chat.
Payment is processed via the card stored in OpenAI or other common options. The entire order fulfillment is handled in the background by the merchant – ChatGPT merely acts as an intermediary. There are no additional costs for the user; merchants simply pay a small fee per completed purchase.
This seamless shopping experience offers advantages for both sides: Buyers go from product idea to purchase in just a few clicks. Sellers tap into a new sales channel with hundreds of millions of potential customers while retaining full control over payment, shipping, and customer service.
This direct purchasing in the chat is made possible by the Agentic Commerce Protocol (ACP) – a new technical interface developed by OpenAI in collaboration with Stripe and initial retail partners. It is an open standard for AI commerce that enables AI agents and the backend systems of online shops to communicate efficiently and complete orders.
For businesses, it is reassuring that the integration does not require major interventions in existing shop systems. Platform independence was a key goal: the protocol works with various shop platforms and payment providers. An online merchant can therefore participate without changing their existing payment system.
If a shop already uses Stripe, a single line of code is enough to activate ACP. But participation is also possible without Stripe – via the open payment standard of the ACP. In all variations, the existing checkout process remains intact: ChatGPT simply passes order and payment data through to the merchant's system, where they are processed like a normal online order.
Security and trust also play a central role. Users retain control at all times and must actively confirm every step of the order. Payment data is only released via secure tokens with explicit permission. Merchants receive the relevant customer data for shipping and support, but without access to full payment information.
In short: ACP creates the infrastructure for AI assistants and online shops to work hand in hand – the technical cornerstone for the shopping process of the future.
When purchases are made directly via AI assistants like ChatGPT, it has massive implications for the visibility of products online. A new playing field is opening up for classic search engine optimization (SEO): in addition to Google and others, companies must now also be visible in ChatGPT when users search for products.
This is where Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) comes into play – the optimization of content for AI-based search systems like ChatGPT, Google SGE, or Perplexity. GEO ensures that content is understood by AI models, classified as trustworthy, and incorporated into their responses. In the era of Agentic Commerce, this specifically means that product data and content must be prepared in such a way that ChatGPT selects them as relevant recommendations for matching queries.
As with traditional SEO, relevance, quality, and structure are key. ChatGPT draws on product information from the web to generate recommendations – and these are organic, meaning they are unpaid. To ensure your own products are prioritized, companies should implement several GEO best practices in addition to the SEO basics:
These measures ensure that a shop is AI-ready. GEO does not replace traditional SEO; rather, it expands it to include the component of AI visibility. In the future, it will not just be about ranking first on Google, but also about appearing in a ChatGPT response. Those who combine both disciplines early on will maximize their reach and visibility.
Integrating ChatGPT as a sales channel offers companies great opportunities – but also new challenges. On the plus side, there is a completely new way to access customers: if chat-based purchasing behavior becomes established, retailers will reach customers exactly where their product search begins – right in the chat window.
This channel could partially bypass traditional search engines and marketplaces, which represents a clear advantage for innovative companies. Early ACP integrators can position themselves as pioneers and leverage the learning curve while others are still hesitant.
On the other hand, new dependencies are emerging: if a large portion of revenue flows through ChatGPT, platform dependency is created. Furthermore, brand presence in the purchasing process is reduced, as the decision is made directly within the chat. Retailers should therefore develop strategies to make their brand tangible even in an AI context – for example, through consistent product images, distinctive copy, and high service quality.
Legal and technical issues are also becoming more important: systems must run stably, inventory must be synchronized, and product data must be free of errors. Incorrect information in the chat could lead to erroneous orders.
Companies that act early can specifically prepare for the introduction of Agentic Commerce. The most important measures for this can be implemented today.
The most important steps:
The fusion of conversation and commerce through ChatGPT's Agentic Commerce Protocol is fundamentally changing online retail. SEO remains the foundation for visibility, but GEO and AI commerce add a new dimension.
Companies that react to this trend early will secure a clear advantage. With ZUMO, you have an agency by your side that acts as both a classic SEO agency as well as a specialized GEO agency and technical partner. We combine search engine expertise with technical implementation—from structured data to API integration—to make your online business fit for the future of AI commerce.
Our team of SEO experts is ready to help you. Discover your SEO potential in a free initial consultation!
ZUMO is a Swiss SEO & SEA agency that uses data analysis and market research to develop scientifically sound SEO & SEA strategies. We owe our success to a combination of technology and know-how of our employees, which delivers relevant results at a unique speed. The satisfaction of our customers, no matter if corporation or small business, is our ultimate goal.
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