OpenAI turns ChatGPT into a visual shopping engine with ACP updates

Buying something online used to mean opening fifteen browser tabs, skimming dubious review blogs, and mentally cross-referencing prices across different storefronts.

OpenAI wants to kill that tab-hopping ritual. The company just expanded its Agentic Commerce Protocol (ACP) to bring a rich, visual product discovery experience directly inside ChatGPT.

The chat box becomes a shopping assistant

Instead of spitting out plain text links, ChatGPT can now present products in visually rich formats with high-res images, pricing, specs, and user reviews.

Shoppers can upload reference images to find similar items, adjust requirements through conversation, and compare different models side-by-side without leaving the chat window.

Powering this under the hood is an expanded version of ACP. Big-name retailers like Target, Sephora, Nordstrom, Lowe’s, Best Buy, The Home Depot, and Wayfair have already plugged into the protocol. Sellers on Shopify and Etsy are automatically integrated via the Shopify Catalog with zero extra setup, while other merchants can sync feeds through Salesforce or Stripe.

Walmart took things a step further. It built a dedicated in-ChatGPT mini-app that lets customers link their Walmart accounts, access loyalty rewards, and check out using Walmart payment methods. The Walmart app is live on web browsers now, with mobile app rollouts coming soon.

These shopping capabilities are rolling out this week to free, Go, Plus, and Pro tiers, though the merchant coverage is currently live for users in the U.S. A self-serve merchant platform is planned for later this year.

OpenAI backs away from owning the checkout

Perhaps the most telling detail is a strategic pivot tucked into OpenAI's merchant FAQ: the company is abandoning its standalone Instant Checkout experiment.

Instead of trying to process transactions natively inside ChatGPT, OpenAI is handing the checkout experience back to merchants. Shoppers will complete purchases on merchant websites or apps via an in-app browser. Crucially, OpenAI confirmed it will charge zero merchant fees for purchases completed on third-party sites.

OpenAI admitted that its early instant-checkout attempts lacked the flexibility retailers needed, prompting the team to focus on top-of-funnel discovery instead.

Why it matters

For everyday shoppers, this turns a notoriously messy chore into a two-minute chat. Being able to drop a photo of an aesthetic lamp and have ChatGPT pull up matching inventory with live prices and side-by-side specs solves a genuine daily frustration.

For the tech landscape, this is a direct shot at Google’s core cash cow: high-intent commercial search. When people start their buying journey inside a chat window rather than a search engine, the traditional SEO and search-ad playbook gets flipped on its head.

We think dropping the proprietary checkout is a brilliant tactical retreat. Payments, fulfillment, fraud prevention, and return logistics are notoriously messy. Trying to force retailers into OpenAI's walled checkout would have alienated giant partners who guard their customer relationships fiercely.

By waiving transaction fees and letting brands keep their direct customer connections, OpenAI dramatically lowered the friction for merchants to share their live catalog feeds. The goal here isn't grabbing a slice of payment processing; it's making ChatGPT the undisputed default front door for global commerce.