AI-powered shopping is now a thing. ChatGPT Shopping isn’t brand new - but it’s starting to matter a lot more. OpenAI first introduced shopping experiences inside ChatGPT back in April 2025, allowing users to browse products, explore recommendations, and compare merchants directly in chat. But as of September 2025, that experience has expanded with Instant Checkout - a feature that lets users buy directly within ChatGPT or the ChatGPT mobile app, without ever visiting the retailer’s website. That's a pretty massive change, and we'll tell you why: Where AI-powered search had already started keeping users off websites, Instant Checkout takes that a step further by keeping the entire transaction - from discovery to purchase - inside the ChatGPT ecosystem. For ecommerce brands, that means fewer site visits, fewer opportunities to convert, and more pressure to make every feed, schema, and product description count. Let's be clear though - this is a massive opportunity, too. For the brands that get this right, that is. Let's take a look at how shopping within ChatGPT, and their new instant checkout feature, works. How Shopping Within ChatGPT WorksAt its core, ChatGPT Shopping is OpenAI’s take on AI-powered product discovery. The experience combines conversational search, product recommendations, and now - through Instant Checkout - the ability to complete purchases without leaving ChatGPT. In many ways, it’s not a new concept. In-app shopping has existed for years on platforms like Instagram and TikTok. But when an AI model that already answers questions, compares products, and summarises reviews becomes a place to complete the purchase too, the implications for ecommerce visibility change dramatically. Why is that so significant?When a user searches for something like “help me find a housewarming gift under $100,” ChatGPT doesn’t just list links. It generates a curated set of product cards, complete with images, pricing, and merchant names. T...