- OpenAI is reportedly developing an e-commerce feature for ChatGPT, allowing users to buy products directly within the chat.
- The potential integration with Shopify could offer a seamless AI-driven shopping experience.
- OpenAI hasn’t officially announced the development.
Microsoft recently announced the launch of its Copilot Merchant Program, which is a step towards AI-powered commerce. Unveiled on April 18, the initiative allows retailers to embed their product catalogues directly into the Copilot app, giving users access to real-time product recommendations, price alerts, and in-app purchasing options. And now, according to a new report, OpenAI might be exploring something similar. This means that the next time you ask ChatGPT for suggestions regarding what to buy online, the AI chatbot might be able to let you carry out the purchase as well.
ChatGPT could be your next shopping assistant
Imagine asking ChatGPT for the best blazer for an important meeting at work—and instead of getting links to review sites, you’re presented with product options, reviews, prices, and a “Buy Now” button. All within the same conversation. That futuristic vision might be just around the corner, as OpenAI appears to be laying the groundwork for a seamless in-chat shopping experience in partnership with Shopify.
According to unreleased code strings discovered by Testing Catalog, OpenAI might just be quietly building an e-commerce layer into ChatGPT. The code includes fields like “buy_now,” shipping details, product ratings, and a “shopify_checkout_url,” suggesting a direct integration rather than a loose affiliate setup. What this points to is a new kind of shopping experience—one where ChatGPT not only recommends products, but helps you purchase them in real time, without ever having to leave the chat.
While OpenAI has not made any public announcements, the fact that parts of the shopping-related code are already present in production assets suggests a rollout could be imminent.
What does ChatGPT say?
Just for fun, we asked ChatGPT if it was getting the power to help us with online shopping soon. And the chatbot had an interesting response, saying that “there are some developments happening behind the scenes.”
Here’s the full answer of the chatbot:
“There’s no official word yet on me getting full online shopping capabilities — like placing orders or checking out on your behalf — but there are some developments happening behind the scenes.
Right now, what I can do includes:
- Helping you find and compare products.
- Summarising reviews and specs.
- Tracking price drops if you give me links.
- Creating shopping lists or recommending gift ideas.
If OpenAI ever adds a way for me to actually buy things for you, it’ll likely be with your permission and linked accounts — and they’ll probably announce it with fanfare.”
OpenAI meets Shopify
This potential collaboration comes as both companies double down on AI-led transformation. OpenAI, best known for pushing the boundaries of artificial intelligence, is increasingly pivoting towards what some experts call “agentic commerce”—AI that not only informs, but acts. A previous experiment, the Operator agent, allowed ChatGPT to book flights and place grocery orders for some Pro users. The Shopify integration appears to be a logical extension of that experiment.
Shopify, meanwhile, has been on an AI offensive of its own. In an internal memo dated 7 April, CEO Tobias Lütke urged staff to prioritise AI solutions over human hiring, calling reflexive AI usage a “baseline expectation.” The message was clear: the future of Shopify lies in intelligent, autonomous systems. A partnership with OpenAI aligns with this mission, allowing the e-commerce platform to bring its millions of merchants directly into ChatGPT’s vast ecosystem, reportedly home to 800 million to 1 billion users.
Rather than relying on social media algorithms or SEO to attract traffic, Shopify sellers could soon see their products surfaced directly in ChatGPT’s recommendations, complete with price, reviews, shipping, and an instant checkout option—all powered by AI.
