ChatGPT’s new Wallet lets AI agents shop and check out for you

OpenAI recently introduced a new wallet feature for ChatGPT, enabling AI agents known as "dots" to assist users in making purchases. This service is currently limited to U.S. ChatGPT Pro subscribers aged 18 or older with a U.S.-issued Visa, Mastercard, or American Express card. Users maintain full control throughout the purchasing process, reviewing the items, total cost, and the payment card used before finalizing the transaction.

To approve the purchase, users can utilize biometric authentication methods such as Face ID or fingerprint recognition, which generate a record of their transaction.

The launch of this feature reflects the ongoing challenge for consumer-facing AI tools to find their niche, as they strive to enhance efficiency in various tasks. While some companies have seen limited success with AI agents placed orders, Meta's Muse has witnessed AI-assisted shopping become a popular activity on its platform. Instinct is another personal AI agent that supports shopping on users' behalf.

OpenAI aims to enter this competitive space with its agentic shopping feature, which utilizes a payment token to protect user data and ensure secure transactions.

When users add their eligible payment cards to the ChatGPT Wallet, they can then request their dot to assist with a purchase. This initial setup is a one-time process, eliminating the need to re-enter payment information for future transactions. Upon checkout, ChatGPT's Wallet processes the payment using a substitute for the user's actual card details, ensuring the merchant receives only the necessary information to fulfill the order, such as shipping address and contact details.

OpenAI's limited availability allows for continuous testing and refinement of the feature before a wider rollout. In the future, users will have more control over the feature, including setting spending limits or defining parameters around purchase categories or time periods. This will enable pre-approval of certain purchases, granting the agent more autonomy in handling transactions.

OpenAI also aims to expand the agentic shopping feature to a broader range of supported retailers. However, restrictions from some retailers, like Amazon, which favors its own AI agent, Alexa, present challenges in this endeavor. To assist retailers in adapting to agentic commerce, OpenAI has published a Commerce Partner Playbook offering tools and guidance for websites seeking to support customers using AI agents.