ChatGPT + Shopify: The Future of E-commerce

“Nicolas Dabène, certified PrestaShop expert with 15+ years of experience, deciphers how conversational agents are redesigning our purchase journeys.”

Introduction

The online commerce landscape is experiencing an unprecedented transformation: conversational AI, long confined to customer support, is now crossing the final step - payment. In July 2025, OpenAI confirmed working hand in hand with Shopify to integrate a native checkout flow directly within ChatGPT. This advance promises an uninterrupted shopping experience: discover, compare and pay without leaving the conversation. This article examines, in a neutral and pragmatic way, what this synergy means for consumers, merchants and the e-commerce ecosystem.

I. Technical Integration: What’s Actually Happening?

Code strings like buy_now, price, shipping, star_rating or shopify_checkout_url have appeared in ChatGPT’s public web bundle, indicating that OpenAI is wiring a complete purchase journey - from product cataloging to payment - relying on Shopify’s checkout infrastructure.

A functional prototype has already been presented to several brands; OpenAI would receive a commission on each sale made via this interface.

Key Technical Points:

Hybrid API calls: ChatGPT queries the merchant’s catalog via Shopify Storefront Webhooks, enriches the response with reviews/stock, then dynamically generates product cards.
Checkout handoff: the buy_now action redirects to a signed Shopify URL, preserving context (product, variant, quantity) without additional work on the merchant side.
OAuth permissions: a specific chat_commerce scope is in private beta to authorize ChatGPT to create checkouts.

II. A New Shopping Experience for the User

The buyer no longer has to navigate from one site to another: they dialogue, get refined recommendations and finalize their payment without interruption.

Personal assistant: ChatGPT plays the role of personal shopper. It takes into account constraints like budget, color or delivery date, filters variants and proposes the best options.
Enriched product cards: price, options, estimated shipping costs and return policy display in the conversation, avoiding searching for scattered information.
Security and UX: redirection to Shopify Checkout reassures thanks to its notoriety, while the discussion thread serves as proof of purchase.

III. Opportunities for Shopify Merchants

For a merchant, connecting their catalog to ChatGPT means instantly accessing a colossal audience, via the existing Storefront API, without additional development.

Expanded distribution: an unprecedented acquisition channel, potentially more qualified than a classic Google Shopping query.
Accelerated conversion: fewer clicks, fewer forms; the funnel reduces to a simple conversational exchange.
Strategic alignment: Shopify adopts an AI-first approach; its CEO, Tobi Lütke, even encourages to “hire an AI before a human”.
Cart abandonment reduction: the buyer validates their cart at the exact moment when intention is strongest.

Example Code (Liquid + JavaScript)

Here’s a minimalist configuration snippet; no custom app required, only a delegate to manage the chat_commerce scope:

liquid<script type="application/json" id="chatcommerce-config">{ "storefrontAccessToken": "", "permissions": ["read_products", "write_checkouts"], "callbacks": { "checkout_completed": "/orders" }}</script>

IV. The E-commerce Landscape Disruption

This movement positions ChatGPT as a complete transactional agent, diverting part of the product traffic previously captured by Google. The giants are reacting: Microsoft has unveiled “Copilot Merchant” and Perplexity is testing a Shopping Answers module that allows buying without leaving the page.

Disintermediation: the traditional e-commerce site might see its organic traffic decrease, in favor of AI platforms that will control product recommendation.
Brand visibility: new optimization tactics - called AIO (Artificial Intelligence Optimization) - are emerging: structuring product sheets to please LLMs becomes as crucial as SEO was ten years ago.
Conversational Commerce 2.0: after FAQ chatbots, enter chat-checkouts capable of finalizing the transaction.

V. An Evolving Business Model: OpenAI’s Commission

OpenAI plans to take a commission (approximately 2% mentioned during private demonstrations) on each sale concluded via ChatGPT, thus diversifying its revenues beyond ChatGPT Plus subscriptions. Value sharing would remain competitive against traditional marketplaces, especially since conversion promises to be superior thanks to conversational UX.

Long-term, ChatGPT could interface with multiple PSPs (Shopify Payments, Stripe, PayPal) while maintaining a single commission architecture.

Conclusion

The native integration between Shopify and ChatGPT embodies the definitive convergence between conversation and transaction: algorithms no longer just recommend, they orchestrate the purchase act from end to end. For consumers, it’s the promise of a fluid, personalized and - potentially - safer journey. For merchants, it’s a high-intent acquisition channel, but also an unprecedented competitive landscape where optimization for AIs becomes central.

Although this evolution disrupts established models, it opens immense perspectives: drastic checkout simplification, contextual customer service and ultra-personalized recommendations. The future of e-commerce is already being written in our chat windows; it’s up to brands to adapt to find their voice.

Article published on August 8, 2025 by Nicolas Dabène - PHP & PrestaShop expert with 15+ years of experience