On Tuesday, Paypal announced it will implement a protocol alongside OpenAI’s “Instant Checkout” feature, enabling users to make purchases directly within ChatGPT starting in 2026.
Paypal is integrating the Agentic Commerce Protocol (ACP), an open-source framework created by OpenAI that allows merchants to list their products in AI-powered applications, making it possible for users to shop via AI agents. OpenAI’s “Instant Checkout,” introduced in September, allows users to review and confirm their order, shipping, and payment information, and finalize purchases without exiting ChatGPT.
Shoppers will be able to use their Paypal accounts for payment, which, according to the company, will allow it to offer buyer and seller protections as well as dispute management. Paypal is also introducing technology to process card payments within ChatGPT through a dedicated payments API.
Beginning next year, merchants who use Paypal will have their products featured on ChatGPT, starting with categories such as clothing, fashion, beauty, home improvement, and electronics. Merchants won’t need to set up any integrations themselves, as Paypal will manage merchant routing and payment processing in the background.
Paypal also revealed it is rolling out an agentic commerce suite, which will allow merchants to showcase their product catalogs in AI apps, accept payments across various AI platforms, and access analytics on customer behavior.
The company has been working to position itself as a payment provider for AI-driven shopping experiences, especially as more people turn to AI apps for everyday activities. In May, Paypal partnered with Perplexity to enable in-app checkout within the AI search tool, and in September, it announced the adoption of Google’s Agent Payments Protocol to bring its services to different Google products.
In addition to the commerce partnership, Paypal stated it is granting all employees enterprise access to ChatGPT and equipping its engineers with enhanced use of OpenAI’s coding platform, Codex.
“Every week, hundreds of millions rely on ChatGPT for everyday assistance, including discovering products they enjoy, and more than 400 million people use PayPal for shopping,” said Alex Chriss, PayPal’s president and CEO. “By collaborating with OpenAI and implementing the Agentic Commerce Protocol, PayPal will enable seamless payment and shopping experiences, allowing our shared customers to move from conversation to purchase in just a few taps,” he continued.
