Welcome to the forefront of conversational AI as we explore the fascinating world of AI chatbots in our dedicated blog series. Discover the latest advancements, applications, and strategies that propel the evolution of chatbot technology. From enhancing customer interactions to streamlining business processes, these articles delve into the innovative ways artificial intelligence is shaping the landscape of automated conversational agents. Whether you’re a business owner, developer, or simply intrigued by the future of interactive technology, join us on this journey to unravel the transformative power and endless possibilities of AI chatbots.
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The race is on to bring the promises of Agentic AI Commerce to life with big announcements from OpenAI and Google.
First up – OpenAI has launched Instant Checkout for ChatGPT, powered by the Agentic Commerce Protocol (ACP), to enable shopping and checkout from within conversations, for a “small fee.”
Meet your customers where they are
Shopify and Etsy gained a big PR boost today by being named the first sites who will be able to offer checkout within ChatGPT conversations, though the first mover advantage may be short-lived as OpenAI is already taking applications from other merchants and marketplaces who want to integrate their products into ChatGPT Search results and enable Instant Checkout via the Agentic Commerce Protocol.
ChatGPT already helps millions of people find what to buy. Now it can help them buy it too.
We’re introducing Instant Checkout in ChatGPT with @Etsy and @Shopify, and open-sourcing the Agentic Commerce Protocol that powers it, built with @Stripe, so more merchants and developers… pic.twitter.com/9miGZr1Yn7
Shopify has provided a signup page where merchants can express their interest in having their items included in the ChatGPT Instance Checkout experience – though they don’t mention if they will be passing the “small fee” from OpenAI on to merchants on a per order basis and if so, how much that fee will be.
Reach millions of new shoppers
Shopify puts your products front and center, with real-time pricing and inventory. So you show up in ChatGPT right where buyers are ready to spend.
Turn prompts into purchases
Shoppers can buy your products instantly with one tap. It all happens without ever leaving the chat.
Get set up in just a few clicks
Orders in ChatGPT are processed the same way as your existing orders, and you keep the direct relationship with your customer.
Etsy Chief Product and Technology Officer Rafe Colburn says the integration “builds on work [Etsy has] done throughout 2025 to harness the power of LLMs in ways that amplify human connection and aim to drive growth for our sellers.”
As a marketplace of over 5 million creative entrepreneurs, it’s our job to remove barriers for shoppers so they can easily discover and be delighted by our sellers’ special items. To further these efforts, we’re partnering with OpenAI to meet shoppers where they are in their discovery journey. Starting today, ChatGPT users in the U.S. can discover, browse, and purchase items on Etsy directly through ChatGPT.
When users enter a shopping-related query (like: “Help me find a ceramic plate set”), ChatGPT may show results from Etsy. From those results, users can click into the listing to learn more and even complete their purchase from Etsy via credit card, Apple or Google Pay, and other payment methods – all without leaving ChatGPT. Through this integration, we’re creating a new way to unlock the treasure chest of our sellers’ unique, handcrafted and handpicked items to an expanded audience of buyers looking for something special.
Shopify and Etsy stock both jumped significantly at the news – a predictable result that it appears Etsy was poised to take full advantage of by using this opportunity to also announce they are de-listing from the NASDAQ and moving to the New York Stock Exchange on October 10th.
BROOKLYN, N.Y., Sept. 29, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Etsy, Inc. (NASDAQ: ETSY), which operates two-sided online marketplaces that connect millions of passionate and creative buyers and sellers around the world, today announced plans to transfer the listing of its Common Stock (“Common Stock”) to the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) from the Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (“Nasdaq”).
Etsy expects the listing of its Common Stock on Nasdaq to cease on October 10, 2025, and the listing of its Common Stock on the NYSE (NYSE: ETSY) to begin on October 13, 2025.
“We’re excited to join the New York Stock Exchange and stand alongside some of the world’s most respected and innovative companies,” said Josh Silverman, Chief Executive Officer of Etsy.
“For 20 years, Etsy has connected tens of millions of thoughtful shoppers with creative entrepreneurs around the world – and we will continue to keep commerce human as we build even more personalized and differentiated shopping experiences. We’re looking forward to partnering with the NYSE to deliver on our commitments to transparency, excellence, and creating long-term shareholder value.”
But some people aren’t so convinced that today’s news really lives up to the hype, questioning the use of “agentic commerce” when this experience still requires direct, manual engagement from the human user to complete a purchase.
Eric Seufert, an analyst at Mobile Dev Memo, expressed skepticism in a post on X, saying Instant Checkout in chat isn’t really “agentic commerce” but is instead simply an in-app checkout experience similar to the native checkout that Meta recently announced they are phasing out.
OpenAI’s integration with Stripe isn’t “agentic commerce”: it’s in-product checkout, similar to the native checkout experience that Meta recently eliminated because it was unpopular with users and didn’t improve Meta’s ability to collect conversion data. pic.twitter.com/KLIaeaqNTJ
And whether or not the experience by truly be called “agentic commerce”, there’s still the question of whether or not most shoppers will trust this experience or prefer to shop this way vs going directly to a merchant’s website or familiar marketplace site as recent Pew research has found the general public and tech experts are still very far apart in their enthusiasm and predictions for AI.
And in other AI Commerce news, Search Engine Roundtable says Google appears to be testing or rolling out a new AI chat feature called “Ask Stores” within Google Shopping – and that Poshmark may be an earlier winner of this new feature.
The AI chat feature lets the user “Ask about hard-to-find items, shopping, styling, home finds, trending pieces, brands, selling, and more” with an AI Chatbot that pop ups when you click on “Get advice.”
The feature was spotted by David Kyle on X, who said that chatbot is unable to help with anything except Poshmark listings even if he told it he did not want to shop on Poshmark and that it claimed to be “part of a direct collaboration between Poshmark and Google.”
First time seeing this “Ask Stores” above the PLAs in Shopping. Poshmark integrated into Gemini selling straight off their site. Is this AI Max? #ppcchat #googleads pic.twitter.com/4hYdWLhwSV
It will not help with anything but Poshmark listings. Even when I tell it I don’t want to shop at Poshmark. Claims to be a “direct collaboration” when I inquired about integration logistics. #ppcchat #googleads pic.twitter.com/nrAqa6bkNK
How open are you to using Instant Checking in ChatGPT or other “agentic AI” experiences for your online shopping? Let us know in the comments below!
Liz Morton is a 17 year ecommerce pro turned indie investigative journalist providing ad-free deep dives on eBay, Amazon, Etsy & more, championing sellers & advocating for corporate accountability.
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