ChatGPT isn’t just a chat buddy anymore.
OpenAI just rolled out Instant checkout, a new feature which might change the way you shop.
Just imagine, you've just started sharing your thoughts with GPT and you realised you liked a pair of sneakers. Now, instead of going over to Amazon, you will have the option hit ‘Buy’ right in the chat, set your delivery address and add your payment details, and buy your sneakers, right then and there. No extra apps, no long checkout pages, just smooth, fast, almost unbelievably easy.
How Instant Checkout actually works
Now, don’t get it wrong,
ChatGPT isn’t handling payments or deliveries itself.
Think of it more like a middleman connecting you to the seller, making the whole process simpler. It’s like ChatGPT roleplaying as Swiggy or Zomato and instead of food, it’s your wishlist items ready to ship.
For now, Instant Checkout is available in the US, with OpenAI hinting that other countries, including India, will get the feature soon.
The convenience—and the risk
The appeal is obvious. You’re already talking about a product, and you can purchase it right then and there. No switching between apps, no wasted time just convenience on demand.
But here’s the thing: convenience comes with a cost. Making shopping this easy can lead to impulse buying. Without the usual steps of comparing prices, reading reviews, thinking twice, it’s easy to overspend before you even realise it. That one-click simplicity could turn casual browsing into a serious dent in your wallet.
The future of shopping
Still, Instant Checkout is clever. It turns an AI that many of us use daily into a mini shopping assistant. The real question is whether it will truly make life easier or just make us spend more.
For now, US users get to try it first. Once it rolls out in India and other countries, we’ll see if it really changes the way we shop online or just makes wallets lighter.
