OpenAI and Shopify Unite: Seamless In-Chat Shopping Set to Transform E-Commerce in 2025

OpenAI and Shopify are set to redefine online shopping by integrating Shopify’s native checkout system directly into ChatGPT. Unlike the 2023 plugin that only suggested product links, this new integration will allow users to find, explore, and purchase products entirely within the ChatGPT interface, using Shopify’s Shop Pay for a seamless checkout experience.

 

How the shopping experience will change

Users will simply describe the product they want in a sentence, and ChatGPT will instantly locate it, display the price, shipping details, customer ratings, and a “Buy Now” button. Purchases can be completed without leaving the chat, eliminating the need to navigate external websites or complicated checkout pages. This will make shopping faster, simpler, and more intuitive.

 

A huge opportunity for Shopify and merchants

For Shopify, which powers over 2.2 million online stores, this integration offers direct access to ChatGPT’s estimated 800 million monthly users without requiring merchants to write any code or manage complex setups. This can dramatically increase product visibility and sales potential with minimal effort.

 

Benefits for OpenAI

The integration opens new revenue streams for OpenAI and enhances user engagement by transforming ChatGPT from a conversational assistant into a full-fledged shopping platform. Users gain the convenience of completing purchases within the same chat where they discover products.

 

Timeline and industry context

A first rollout is expected between May and June 2025 for ChatGPT Plus and Team users, with a broader release to follow. Meanwhile, other tech giants like Microsoft and Perplexity are pursuing similar paths, aiming to make conversational AI a direct sales channel rather than just a discovery tool.

 

The future of e-commerce: AI visibility and payment innovation

This shift marks a fundamental change where visibility in AI interfaces will become the new SEO for e-commerce. Payment gateways and retail platforms must innovate and collaborate with AI to offer increasingly integrated and frictionless shopping experiences.

 

Early signs in the code

Recent investigations into ChatGPT’s codebase have revealed clear evidence that OpenAI is preparing a native in-chat shopping experience powered by Shopify. Developers and tech enthusiasts have uncovered specific code elements such as “buy_now,” “price,” “shipping,” “product_offer_ratings,” and notably “shopify_checkout_url” embedded within ChatGPT’s public assets.

 

These strings strongly indicate that ChatGPT will soon enable users to discover products, view detailed information including pricing and shipping options, and complete purchases directly inside the chat interface via Shopify’s secure checkout system.

 

This integration goes far beyond simple product recommendations or external links. 

 

Instead, it embeds Shopify’s hosted checkout flow seamlessly into ChatGPT, allowing users to finalize transactions without leaving the conversation. For merchants, this means their Shopify stores gain immediate access to ChatGPT’s massive user base—estimated between 800 million and 1 billion monthly users—without requiring additional coding or complex setup.

 

The “buy_now” button and “shopify_checkout_url” specifically point to a streamlined purchase process where clicking “Buy” triggers Shopify’s checkout directly within ChatGPT, preserving the user experience and leveraging Shopify’s existing payment and fulfillment infrastructure.

 

This effectively transforms ChatGPT into a conversational commerce platform, merging product discovery, evaluation, and purchase into a single, fluid interaction.

 

In summary, the presence of these code elements confirms that OpenAI and Shopify are close to launching a fully integrated shopping channel inside ChatGPT, marking a significant evolution in how consumers will shop online and how merchants will reach customers through AI-driven interfaces.