A complete guide to the new Shopify in chat checkout

The e-commerce world just got a pretty big shake-up. In a partnership that makes a lot of sense, OpenAI and Shopify have teamed up to let people shop directly inside a ChatGPT conversation. Think about it: a customer asks for gift ideas, and a few moments later, they’ve bought something without ever leaving the chat. This isn't just another cool feature, it's the start of what people are calling "agentic commerce," where an AI acts like a personal shopper, taking you from "I'm just looking" to "thanks for your order" in one smooth chat.

This guide will break down everything you need to know about the new Shopify in chat checkout. We'll get into what it is, how it actually works for store owners, where it falls short, and how you can use AI to support your customers through their entire journey, not just at the payment screen.

What is the Shopify in chat checkout?

At its heart, the Shopify in chat checkout lets people find and buy products from Shopify stores while they're talking to ChatGPT. It’s a team effort between three big names:

• OpenAI: They provide ChatGPT, the AI platform where millions of people are already asking for recommendations.

• Shopify: They're plugging in their huge network of merchants, feeding real-time product info, pricing, and stock levels right into the chat.

• Stripe: They handle the secure payment side of things, making the final transaction feel safe and simple.

The tech that makes this possible is called the "Agentic Commerce Protocol." It's basically an open standard that lets an AI agent (ChatGPT) talk securely to a store's backend systems. You can think of it as a universal translator for shopping, letting the AI place an order for you.

For the customer, the whole thing feels incredibly simple. It might start with a question like, "I need a durable, waterproof backpack for hiking under $150." ChatGPT will then pull up some good options from Shopify merchants. If a product has the feature enabled, a "Buy" button shows up. The user taps it, confirms their details (which might already be saved), and the purchase is done. It’s fast, conversational, and cuts out almost all the usual steps of online shopping.

How the new Shopify in chat checkout works for merchants

This new way to sell isn't just a gimmick; it's a direct connection to millions of potential customers who are ready to buy. But getting your products to show up isn't about outbidding your competitors. Here’s what you should know.

Getting your products noticed

According to OpenAI, the product results are all organic and based on relevance. There are no sponsored ads. That means having a great brand story and really clear product information is more important than ever. As one Shopify owner pointed out on Reddit, there's no secret trick to getting picked by the AI, it's all about having your fundamentals dialed in.

Reddit

If your products are tough to find on Google, they'll be just as invisible to ChatGPT.

A big part of this comes down to structured data. When your Shopify store has well-organized product data and schema markup, it helps AI models like ChatGPT understand what your products are, how much they cost, and if they're in stock. One merchant in a community forum said this was the exact reason their products and blog posts were getting recommended in AI chats long before this official partnership was even a thing.

What you still control

Even though the sale is happening in someone else's app, you're still running the show. Shopify merchants are the merchant of record, meaning you handle fulfillment, returns, and customer support just like you would for any other order. The purchase just appears in your normal Shopify admin dashboard, so you can manage it without changing your whole workflow. You own that customer relationship the second the order is placed.

The costs involved

The service is free for shoppers, and the price of the product doesn't change. However, merchants pay a small fee for each sale made through the platform. The exact rates are part of private deals with Shopify and Etsy, but it's a standard transaction-based fee.

Where the Shopify in chat checkout and other native solutions fall short

While the ChatGPT integration is a fantastic new sales channel, it's very good at one specific thing: processing a transaction. It's built for a customer who has their credit card out and is ready to go. But what about all the questions and hesitations that happen before that final click? This is where you start to see the limits of both this new feature and native tools like Shopify Inbox.

The limits of Shopify Inbox

Shopify Inbox is a decent tool for putting a live chat bubble on your store. It can answer basic questions, whip up some simple AI-suggested FAQs, and pull info straight from your store's data.

The issue is that real customer questions are rarely that simple. A customer might ask how your new product stacks up against last year's model (info that's probably in a blog post), or about technical specs (saved in a Google Doc), or they might need help with a tricky return (which is detailed in your Confluence wiki). Shopify Inbox can't find any of that information. It's stuck inside the Shopify bubble and can't do more complex things like check a shipping status from your logistics partner.

The gap in the new Shopify in chat checkout experience

The ChatGPT checkout is a checkout lane, not a customer service desk. It's for people who've already made up their minds. If someone asks a detailed, brand-specific question mid-chat, like, "Will this camera lens fit my Canon EOS R8?" or "Is the fabric for this jacket ethically sourced?" ChatGPT is going to draw a blank. It only knows what it's been told about the product. The conversation stalls, and you might lose the sale.

Beyond sales: Using AI to support the entire Shopify in chat checkout journey

The real magic of conversational commerce isn't just showing up as another product in a chat window. It's about giving customers instant, smart support that answers all their questions, builds trust, and helps them feel confident enough to buy.

This is where a dedicated AI agent makes a huge difference. While the ChatGPT integration handles the final purchase, a purpose-built AI on your website can manage all the important conversations that lead customers to that point.

How eesel AI improves the Shopify in chat checkout experience

An advanced AI platform like eesel AI is built to fill the exact gaps left by these transactional tools. Here’s how it helps create a more supportive checkout experience:

• It brings all your info together: Unlike basic chat tools that only know about your products, eesel AI connects to your Shopify store and all the other places you keep information. It learns from your help center, past support tickets, internal guides on Confluence, product details in Google Docs, and more. This gives it the ability to answer those tough, specific questions about anything from product compatibility to your brand's sustainability efforts.

• It can actually do things: This is where eesel AI really steps up. It can be set up to perform custom actions, turning it from a simple Q&A bot into a bot that solves problems.

  Pro Tip

  With an eesel AI chatbot, you can let customers check their order status, see if a product is in stock at a local store, or even apply a discount code right in the chat. This cuts down on friction and gives customers the confidence they need to complete their purchase.

• It's incredibly easy to set up: You don't need a developer or a long onboarding project. With eesel AI, you can connect your knowledge sources, tweak your AI's personality, and launch a powerful chatbot in minutes. It's a huge difference from the closed-off, waitlist-only approach of many new platform features.

An AI support agent from eesel AI also plays nice with your existing tools. It can answer thousands of questions around the clock, and when a human touch is needed, it can pass the conversation (with full context) to an agent in your help desk, whether that's Gorgias or Zendesk.

Understanding Shopify pricing for checkout features

To really get the most out of advanced chat and checkout customizations, you'll need to be on the right Shopify plan. This is a small detail that’s easy to overlook but makes a big difference.

According to both Shopify's developer documents and guidance from app developers, adding chat widgets and other apps directly to the main checkout page is a feature that's only available on Shopify Plus. If you're on a lower-tier plan like Basic, Grow, or Advanced, you can usually only add customizations to your "Thank You" and order status pages, not the checkout flow itself.

Here's a quick look at the plans:

• Basic ($29/mo, billed annually): For solo entrepreneurs who are just getting started.

• Grow ($79/mo, billed annually): For small teams who need more staff accounts and lower transaction fees.

• Advanced ($299/mo, billed annually): For growing businesses that need better reporting and calculated shipping rates.

• Plus (starts at $2,300/mo): For high-volume businesses. It offers fully customizable checkouts, unlimited staff accounts, and top-tier support.

So, if you want to put a powerful AI support agent right where customers are about to make their final decision, you'll need to be on the Shopify Plus plan. You can find all the details on the official Shopify pricing page.

The Shopify in chat checkout and the future of conversational commerce

The Shopify and OpenAI partnership is a clear sign that conversational commerce is the real deal. It’s a huge chance for brands to meet customers right when they're looking for answers.

But to make the most of this shift, you need two things: you have to be discoverable, and you have to offer great support. The ChatGPT integration helps with the first part, but the built-in tools often fall short on the second. To really do well, you need an AI that can do more than just process a payment; you need one that builds trust, answers any question, and guides a customer with confidence.

A purpose-built AI support agent isn't just a "nice-to-have" anymore. It's the engine that turns a casual chat into a sale. Don't just get your products listed in ChatGPT; give your customers an AI that can solve any problem and take real action for them.

See how eesel AI can transform your Shopify support by connecting all your knowledge and automating customer answers in just a few minutes.