OpenAI is making a significant strategic shift at a time when AI-powered shopping experiences are increasingly being discussed. The company has temporarily suspended the system that would enable direct payments through ChatGPT. Instead, it is reported that the company is focusing on a model that redirects users to brands’ or retailers’ own platforms.

Despite the rapid emergence of the AI-mediated shopping model known as “agentic commerce” in the technology world, OpenAI is said to be reassessing its plans in this area.

ChatGPT Will Remain a Discovery Tool

Rather than launching the integrated payment system planned for ChatGPT, OpenAI prefers to position artificial intelligence as a product search and recommendation engine. In this model, users will be able to discover products through ChatGPT, but they will complete the purchase process through the brands’ or e-commerce platforms’ own applications.

The “Instant Checkout” feature that the company tested last year was developed particularly for Etsy and Shopify sellers. However, it is stated that the system did not attract the expected interest and was used by only a limited number of merchants in the United States.

User Habits Became a Barrier at the Purchase Stage

Studies analyzing user behavior by OpenAI show that the product research and comparison phase within ChatGPT is quite active. However, it has emerged that users are more cautious about completing the purchase process within the AI interface.

A study published by Adobe also presents a similar picture. According to the report, 70 percent of consumers are comfortable with artificial intelligence assisting in shopping processes. However, only 13 percent of respondents trust AI tools to complete purchases on their behalf.

Collaboration with Stripe Continues

It is reported that OpenAI has not completely abandoned payment processes, but plans to carry out these transactions through different systems rather than within its own platform. Through the infrastructure called the Agentic Commerce Protocol, which the company developed together with Stripe, transactions are expected to be carried out more smoothly. This approach may also open the door for OpenAI to move toward different areas within its revenue model. In particular, advertising and sponsorship-based revenue models built around product discovery and recommendation processes are expected to come to the forefront.

Competition in AI-Powered Commerce Is Intensifying

Competition in the field of AI-based commerce is steadily increasing. While Google is working on a new infrastructure aimed at standardizing e-commerce data on a global scale, Meta is also testing AI-powered shopping features within its social media platforms.

According to experts, although AI-powered shopping technologies are developing rapidly, it will take time for consumer habits to adapt to this transformation. For this reason, the sector is expected to shift toward hybrid models in the short term that strengthen product discovery and decision-making processes, rather than enabling direct purchases through artificial intelligence.