The news: OpenAI walked back plans to integrate checkouts directly into ChatGPT, per The Information.

Instead, ChatGPT is pivoting to a model where consumers complete purchases via third-party apps that plug into the chatbot—a notable strategic shift that reflects the technical complexities of agentic commerce and how consumers are using AI platforms throughout the purchase journey.

The roadblocks: ChatGPT’s decision to recalibrate its shopping ambitions shows the clear challenges of getting agentic commerce off the ground.

The infrastructure needed to turn ChatGPT—and any other AI platform—into an ecommerce marketplace is complex, particularly for a platform with limited experience with online selling.

• Platforms must have continuous access to merchants’ product and inventory data, including pricing and in-stock levels, and that data must be standardized and updated in real time to ensure accuracy.
• Companies also need safeguards to prevent agents from carrying out fraudulent, unauthorized, and otherwise erroneous transactions.
• Platforms need clear protocols for handling payments, particularly around disputes, chargebacks, and authorization, to ensure secure agentic transactions.

While these technical issues were significant for OpenAI, they are not insurmountable—suggesting that the company’s decision to adjust its ecommerce strategy is more likely a pragmatic response to lackluster adoption from retailers and shoppers.

Retailers have from the beginning been wary of agentic commerce given its potential to disrupt the relationship between brand and consumer, which could weaken loyalty and hurt retail media revenues. Giving merchants back some control over the customer journey—and reducing the data-sharing requirements for partnerships—could entice more retailers to join ChatGPT’s ecosystem, turning it into a more formidable player in the agentic commerce race.

At the same time, ChatGPT users have shown little inclination to complete transactions on the platform, a source told The Information. While more people are relying on the chatbot for help with product research, they are not yet at the point where they are willing to hand over the keys to an AI agent. That could reflect a lack of trust: The majority of shoppers are comfortable using AI in situations leading up to a purchase—such as learning about the best deals and discounts, getting factual information about products, and receiving personalized recommendations—but just 30% completely trust AI to buy on their behalf, according to a May survey by Kantar.

Implications for retailers: ChatGPT’s shift away from in-chat checkouts reflects the current reality of agentic commerce: While shoppers are happy to take recommendations from AI platforms, they prefer to complete their transactions on retailer sites.

That trend is unlikely to change soon, even as the volume of online sales driven by AI platforms skyrockets. By 2029, we expect on-site transactions to comprise less than 20% of total AI platform-driven ecommerce sales and account for less than 2% of total retail ecommerce sales.

With the pressure of adopting Instant Checkout removed, retailers should prioritize developing AI tools for their own sites to deliver more value to customers and drive incremental sales. At the same time, companies need to invest in GEO to ensure maximum visibility on ChatGPT and other AI platforms.