On September 29, OpenAI launched an early access program allowing select US merchants to sell products directly through ChatGPT. This marks the beginning of agentic commerce, where AI acts as a personal shopping assistant that browses, compares, and completes purchases for customers.
For Shopify merchants, the question isn’t whether to participate. It’s how to prepare before your competitors do.
Why This Matters for Your Store
Commerce has been fragmenting for years. Customers shop where they spend time, whether that’s Amazon, TikTok Shop, or Instagram Checkout. AI-powered assistants are the next channel, and ChatGPT is leading the way.
Social commerce already accounts for 17.1% of global e-commerce and will grow to 18.1% by 2029. Early adoption creates advantages. Merchants who make their products discoverable in ChatGPT first will capture both attention and sales before the channel becomes saturated.
The Current Rollout
US merchants using Shopify Payments will gain access to ChatGPT commerce soon. Etsy sellers are already enabled. Other platforms like Salesforce and Adobe are expected to adopt OpenAI’s Agentic Commerce Protocol later.
You maintain control of fulfillment, returns, and customer data including emails and shipping details. This differs from marketplace integrations where platforms own the customer relationship.
How Instant Checkout works
When someone on ChatGPT asks a shopping question, for example “high UV protection sunglasses under $80” or “gifts for a new university student” — ChatGPT will show relevant products from across the web. Currently product results are organic and unsponsored, ranked purely on relevance to the user – the data for these products comes in the form of product schema, and also from website scraping by ChatGPT.
If a product supports Instant Checkout, users “Buy,” confirm their order, shipping, and payment details, and complete the purchase without leaving the chat. ChatGPT subscribers can pay with their card on file, or other card and express payment options.
Orders, payments, and fulfilment are handled by the merchant using their existing systems.
Is there a fee for Merchants?
Yes, merchants pay a “small fee” on completed purchases. We don’t have specifics on the % yet.
How to Prepare Your Shopify Store
Structure Your Product Data
ChatGPT doesn’t browse your store like a human customer. It reads structured data feeds. Your product information needs to be machine-readable and complete.
Ensure your taxonomy is accurate. Products need clear categories, attributes, and variants. Your feeds should include dimensions, materials, inventory status, shipping details, and return policies. The data requirements exceed standard shopping feeds because AI responds to specific customer questions.
Map your content to actual search queries. If customers ask “best waterproof backpack under ÂŁ150,” your product data should support that discovery. This requires the same intent research you do for SEO, but optimised for how AI interprets and surfaces products.
Once you’ve completed this you will also want to check that your product schema is in place and is valid. Free testing tools from Google can help you assess if your current schema is valid.
Prepare for Constant Comparison
ChatGPT specialises in side-by-side product recommendations. When a customer asks “which running shoes are better for flat feet,” the AI compares options and makes a suggestion.
Your product reviews matter more in this context. Volume, recency, and sentiment all influence whether AI surfaces your products. External signals like Reddit discussions, Wikipedia pages, and third-party reviews also shape how AI evaluates your brand.
Identify your products’ strengths and weaknesses before AI does. If your return policy is generous or your customer service is exceptional, make sure that information is structured and discoverable.
Define Your Conversational Voice
Without your website design, your brand comes through in the answers ChatGPT provides. Create structured Q&A content for common customer questions. Your brand voice should be clear and consistent across all feeds.
Consider building a content set that addresses typical questions: sizing concerns, material care, compatibility issues, and use cases. This trains the AI to represent your brand accurately.
Measure What Matters
Conversational commerce requires new measurement approaches. Shopify will tag AI-driven orders, but you’ll need frameworks to evaluate performance across channels.
Monitor return rates from AI-referred customers. First-time buyers may have different return patterns than those who browse your website directly. Plan for increased conversational customer service inquiries and resource accordingly.
Test how different product descriptions and structured data affect conversion. Since you retain customer data, ChatGPT commerce can become an acquisition channel if you pair it with retention strategies like email marketing and loyalty programmes.
Look for upsell opportunities. Most AI shopping experiences currently focus on single items. Test whether enhanced product feeds encourage larger basket sizes.
Next Steps for Shopify Merchants
The Agentic Commerce Protocol is open-source, so integrations will expand beyond Shopify and Etsy. Google’s Merchant Centre data already feeds its algorithms, and Gemini-powered direct purchases may follow.
Start with your product data. Clean it, structure it, and make it thorough. Test how your products appear in AI responses by prompting ChatGPT with realistic customer questions. Iterate based on what surfaces and what doesn’t.
Strengthen your review collection process. Authentic customer feedback influences AI recommendations more than marketing copy. Build your external credibility through Reddit engagement, industry forums, and third-party review platforms.
Integrate ChatGPT commerce into your channel strategy rather than treating it as separate. Customer acquisition costs and lifetime value should be evaluated across all touchpoints. The merchants who own the customer relationship and can move buyers from first purchase to repeat customer will extract the most value from this channel.
Agentic commerce is operational. The pilot group is small, but expansion is certain. Merchants who prepare now will be positioned when access broadens.
If you need some help preparing your store, reach out to our expert team. We work with WooCommerce and Shopify store owners every day.
