OpenAI launches ChatGPT Wallet so its agents can buy things after you approve

OpenAI on Friday launched ChatGPT Wallet, a feature that lets its AI agents complete purchases for you once you sign off on each one. According to The Verge, it is rolling out to ChatGPT Pro subscribers in the US who are 18 or older and have a US billing address. TechCrunch says only a limited number of those subscribers get it at first. OpenAI's own announcement says the wallet serves agents in ChatGPT Work, Codex and dots, its agent product.

How it works

You add an eligible card to the wallet one time, then ask your dot to help you buy something. The sources differ slightly on which cards qualify. The Verge lists eligible US-issued American Express, Chase, Mastercard and Visa cards. TechCrunch names Visa, Mastercard and American Express, and The Decoder says only that an eligible US bank card is needed.

Before checkout, the agent shows you the items, the total and the card it plans to use. You then approve with a security check such as Face ID or a fingerprint scan. TechCrunch reports that this approval creates a record of the transaction. The payment runs on a token, a stand-in card number, so neither the agent nor the store sees your real card details. The Decoder says American Express, Mastercard and Visa generate those tokens. OpenAI says the store gets what it needs to ship the order, such as your address and contact details, from the dot. It also says your usual card rewards and dispute protections still apply.

The Decoder describes the flow OpenAI lays out. You describe what you want, ChatGPT looks for options on the open web, through APIs or in merchant product feeds, and you choose one. ChatGPT then finishes the purchase either by driving a browser on the store's existing site or through a plugin that handles steps like managing the cart. The Decoder adds that OpenAI built the wallet after dropping Instant Checkout, its earlier in-chat buying feature, because that approach was not flexible enough.

Where it may not work

Some retailers limit or block AI agents. The Verge notes that Amazon blocked Meta's Muse agents earlier this year. TechCrunch calls Amazon the largest retailer to ban AI shopping agents and says it is pushing users toward its own agent, Alexa. OpenAI says websites must avoid blocking agents by accident and payment and fraud systems must recognize real agent purchases. To help, it published a Commerce Partner Playbook. The Decoder says the guide covers adjusting firewalls, supplying product data and working with payment providers such as Stripe, Adyen and Riskified.

How it compares

The Decoder describes OpenAI as catching up. By its account, built-in payments are already part of Anthropic's Claude Duet, Meta's Muse and xAI's Grok Bot. Google and Perplexity, it adds, offer their own checkout tools, Google Pay and Instant Buy. TechCrunch reports that DoorDash and Uber have seen low numbers of agent-placed orders, while Meta's Muse, which TechCrunch says has over 10 million users, has seen shopping become a top activity.

What to watch

TechCrunch says the limited launch will let OpenAI test the feature before a wider rollout, and no date has been given. The company says it plans to let users pre-approve purchases within set spending limits, product categories or time periods, and to support more retailers.