By skyforbes Recently, OpenAI opened up the concept of “apps” inside ChatGPT. This means that any e-commerce vendor who can plug in a checkout form inside a ChatGPT app can potentially appear before ~800 million users — literally enabling a “Buy Now” button inside the chat interface.
That capability changes several assumptions for online retailers:
- Distribution is no longer only about search and ads.
- Conversation becomes the interface — not just browsing.
- Check-out can happen inside the chat environment rather than redirecting the user away.
- Free (or near-free) exposure could replace or augment traditional SEO/SEM spend.
If you’re running an e-commerce business, this is worth paying attention to.
Why this matters for e-commerce vendors
Here’s what the advantage looks like in practice:
1. Massive distribution potential
Because ChatGPT now supports apps that can expose checkout forms, your “buy now” button could in principle reach the full user base of ChatGPT (~800 million users) rather than just your own website or ad-audience.
In plain terms: if you can get your product’s checkout form into that conversational ecosystem, you’re opening up a new channel of traffic that is far larger than most niche website visitors.
2. Higher conversion rates via conversational UX
Where Google organic search might give ~3.9 % conversion, ChatGPT in some early cases already sees ~6.7 %.
The chat environment is more engaged — users are asking questions, exploring options, and you can meet them right there with a “Buy Now” step rather than making them leave the chat. That reduces friction.
3. Reduced reliance on paid ads & SEO
With the ability to expose checkout inside the chat interface, you reduce the need to funnel users through landing pages, ad flows, or expensive search campaigns. As AINIRO says, this effectively offers “free marketing” via ChatGPT distribution — instead of paying $25 per click on Google or handing Amazon 25 % of your revenue.
This means your margin advantage increases and your customer-acquisition strategy gets a fresh channel.
4. Chat as storefront + assistant
Your chatbot (or ChatGPT app) becomes not just a support tool but an active sales tool: it can help discover products, answer questions, and then embed a “Buy Now” button in the chat stream, right when the user is ready.
So rather than requiring the user to leave the conversation and go to a traditional e-commerce site, you’re enabling a streamlined purchase inside the conversation.
Read more about AINIRO here.