From Conversation to Checkout: Shopify Partners with OpenAI

Shopify, the global e-commerce giant that helps power businesses of all sizes, is taking a major leap in redefining how people shop online. In a recently announced partnership with OpenAI, Shopify will soon enable its merchants to sell products directly through ChatGPT, treating the chat environment itself as a store window.

OpenAI’s new “Instant Checkout” feature, currently available in the United States, lets users buy products without leaving the ChatGPT interface. Instead of redirecting users to external websites, this integration allows them to discover, browse and purchase products seamlessly within their conversation. Merchants will pay a small commission-like fee on completed purchases, while users are not charged extra and product prices remain unchanged. OpenAI plans to expand Instant Checkout to more regions next year.

Vanessa Lee, Vice President of Product at Shopify, captured the significance of this shift: “Shopping is changing fast. People are discovering products in AI conversations, not just through search or ads. This will let our merchants show up naturally in those moments and give shoppers a way to buy without breaking their flow. It's a really exciting shift for commerce.” More than just convenience, this innovation marks a meaningful transformation in how customers discover and buy products in the digital age.

The Instant Checkout feature appears to be a natural extension of Shopify’s broader vision. Just last year, it announced plans to use AI in its regular operations to help merchants streamline operations. Now, with over 700 million people engaging with ChatGPT every week, the potential reach of this new sales channel is enormous.

Author: Hannah Lee, 2025/2026 Articling Student-at-Law