Google makes you search. ChatGPT makes you buy

In 2025, OpenAI launched the “Instant Checkout” feature for ChatGPT, allowing users to discover products, compare options, and complete purchases directly in their chat window, without the need to visit merchant websites or handle confusing checkout flows.

How It Works:

• Discovery: Users type what they’re shopping for (“Find eco-friendly gifts under $30.”) and ChatGPT instantly recommends relevant products with details from integrated merchant catalogs (Etsy, Shopify).

• Instant Purchase: Users tap “Buy,” review the item, shipping, and payment details, and confirm, all inside the chat, powered by Stripe’s secure infrastructure and OpenAI’s open Agentic Commerce Protocol.

• US Rollout: As of October 2025, ChatGPT’s shopping and checkout feature is available exclusively for US users, integrating with US-based Etsy sellers and expanding soon to over 1 million Shopify merchants.

  
  

Market Response:

• Within hours of launch, Etsy’s US-listed shares surged 16%; Shopify climbed about 6%, reflecting Wall Street’s confidence in conversational commerce.

• Analysts see this as OpenAI’s move to directly challenge Google Shopping and Amazon, shifting shopping from search engines and websites to the AI chat interface.

  
  

Adoption and Conversion in the USA:

• 61% of US adults have used AI for shopping in 2025, up from just 42% awareness in 2023.

• Conversion rates: Shoppers using AI chat in e-commerce convert at 12.3%, four times higher than standard website conversion rates (3.1%). Engagement also lasts longer per session, with shoppers completing purchases 47% faster when assisted by AI recommendations.

• Personalization wins: 78-91% of US shoppers say they’re more likely to shop or return with personalized AI-driven offers.

  
  

Industry and Consumer Insights:

• Retail shift: US brands are rapidly integrating AI: 89% of retail companies are using or piloting AI for sales, personalization, and support.

• Executive buy-in: 65-80% of retail executives expect AI-powered automation to drive revenue and efficiency this year.

• Hybrid experience: 89% of Americans prefer AI speed combined with human support. Automation is essential, but trust and empathy still matter.

  
  

Challenges and What’s Next:

• Not all shoppers are ready for full automation; a third want human oversight for big purchases.

• Adoption is strongest with younger generations (Gen Z, Millennials), who use ChatGPT and AI for product discovery at more than twice the rate of older shoppers.

• As Shopify, Stripe, and other major players embrace agentic commerce with ChatGPT, competition with Google and Amazon will intensify, and retailers must optimize their product data for AI discovery, not just search engine keywords.

Summary: OpenAI’s Instant Checkout marks a seismic shift for US e-commerce. Americans increasingly shop via conversations, finding, comparing, and buying products in one seamless flow. With conversion rates four times higher, strong market adoption, and broad executive investment in AI, Conversational Commerce is quickly becoming the new norm, especially for digitally savvy US consumers seeking speed and personalization.