What Is Instant Checkout and the Agentic Commerce Protocol?

‍

Instant Checkout is a feature inside ChatGPT that allows users to purchase products directly in the chat interface. Instead of being sent to a brand’s website, buyers can complete their order in seconds within the same conversation.

Behind the scenes, this is enabled by the Agentic Commerce Protocol (ACP), an open standard co‑developed by OpenAI and Stripe. ACP defines how AI agents, consumers, and merchants interact securely to complete transactions. Merchants still own fulfilment, payments, returns, and customer service, but the AI agent (ChatGPT, for now) handles discovery and checkout.

How It Works

‍

From the User’s Perspective

  1. Ask questions such as: “Find me waterproof hiking boots under £150.”
  2. ChatGPT presents curated product options with images and details.
  3. For supported merchants, a “Buy” button appears.
  4. Clicking it triggers a streamlined checkout window inside ChatGPT.
  5. Payment and shipping details (often pre‑filled) are confirmed.
  6. The order completes instantly, without leaving the chat.

Why This Matters for Merchants and Marketers

‍

1. A New “Front Door” for Commerce

ChatGPT could rival Google Search and Amazon as the starting point and final destination for buying journeys.

2. Lower Friction, Higher Conversions

By cutting out site redirects and lengthy forms, Instant Checkout may significantly reduce cart abandonment rates.

3. Rise of Conversational Commerce

Discovery and transaction now blend seamlessly. Merchants must optimise for questions and intent, not just SEO keywords.

4. Product Data Becomes Critical

AI agents rely on structured product data (availability, variants, metadata). Merchants with rich, accurate catalogues will stand out.

5. Fairness & Competition

OpenAI has promised that product ranking won’t prioritise Instant Checkout merchants unfairly. Still, competition may hinge on price, quality, and data clarity.

6. New Fee Structures

Merchants will pay a transaction fee only after a completed sale. This model may impact margins, especially for low-ticket or commodity products.

‍

What Merchants Should Do Now

‍

  1. Audit Your Product Data – Ensure attributes, images, and metadata are accurate and structured.
  2. Explore ACP Integration – Review Stripe’s ACP tools and assess technical readiness.
  3. Rethink Discovery Strategies – Optimise for conversational queries and natural‑language product descriptions.
  4. Run Small Experiments – Pilot with a subset of SKUs or categories to test performance.‍
  5. Monitor Metrics – Track new KPIs like “chat conversion rates” and “prompt abandonment.”

Conclusion

‍

For merchants and marketers, Instant Checkout in ChatGPT is both an opportunity and a challenge. It promises frictionless sales and new conversion pathways but raises tough questions about competition, margins, and customer relationships. The winners will be those who adapt early, optimise product data, and embrace conversational commerce as the next frontier.