In a move that could dramatically change how people purchase goods online, OpenAI, the tech giant, and Shopify, the platform enabling retailers and brands to create and manage online stores, are bringing e-commerce to ChatGPT.

The two companies said Monday they have reached an agreement whereby consumers will be able to make purchases while on the ChatGPT chatbot without leaving the artificial intelligence-generated conversation. The new service is called Instant Checkout.

OpenAI also announced Monday that ChatGPT users will be able to buy goods from online marketplace Etsy’s domestic sellers.

“OpenAI is taking its first big step into commerce with Instant Checkout,” said Zak Stambor, a senior analyst at Emarketer, which provides forecasts, data and insights for the e-commerce industry. “The feature still has some wrinkles to iron out, but embedding checkout for hundreds of millions of users could turn ChatGPT into a true commerce destination,” Stambor said.

Asked when the Instant Checkout service with Shopify launches, a Shopify spokeswoman said, “Very soon. Shopify will launch with a select group of merchants like Glossier, Spanx, Vuori, Away, Stanley 1913, Skims and Steve Madden, in an early access program, then continue rollout to eligible U.S. merchants.”

The spokesperson also said that users of U.S. ChatGPT Plus, Pro, and Free can now buy directly from U.S. Etsy sellers right in chat. 

Shopify indicated the merchants will have their store name displayed “clearly in ChatGPT so shoppers know exactly who they’re buying from, and orders flow into the Shopify admin with proper attribution and transparent fees. They remain merchants of record, own the shopper relationship, and control whether shoppers go through the instant checkout experience or their online store.”

It’s been the vision of Tobias Lutke, the chief executive officer of Shopify Inc., to enable Shopify merchants to sell anywhere AI conversations occur.

Basically, if you go on ChatGPT and request recommendations on buying something, such as a cashmere sweater, brands will pop up showing cashmere sweaters for sale at different merchants, with real-time data like pricing, inventory and images, giving merchants another channel for selling, while also giving OpenAI, the parent of ChatGPT, an extra revenue stream. Fees will be charged merchants on sales generated through ChatGPT.

“Shopping is changing fast. People are discovering products in AI conversations, not just through search or ads,” Vanessa Lee, vice president of product at Shopify, said in a statement Monday. “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.”

“AI will fundamentally reshape how our customers shop. Being on Shopify means we can automatically be wherever our customers are shopping — including inside AI conversations,” Colleen Waters, vice president of e-commerce at Steve Madden, the footwear brand, said in a statement. “That lets us stay focused on our brand and customers while staying at the forefront of commerce.”

Google provides product recommendations, but shoppers need to exit the search engine and go to the product’s e-commerce site to make a purchase.