OpenAI Sets 4% Fee on ChatGPT Purchases, Launching New AI Commerce Revenue Model

OpenAI Announces New Monetization Model

OpenAI's 4% ChatGPT checkout fee signals a shift in agentic commerce

Shopify will enable merchants to sell through AI chatbots, with OpenAI charging a 4% fee on sales made via ChatGPT Instant Checkout.

OpenAI has announced it will charge a 4% fee on sales through the ChatGPT Instant Checkout feature starting January 26, 2026. This fee is added on top of the standard payment processing fee (approximately 2.9%) that Shopify merchants already pay. First reported by The Information, this news is attracting attention as a turning point for AI platforms' full-scale entry into EC revenue structures.

The service covers over 1 million US Shopify merchants, including well-known brands such as Glossier, SKIMS, Spanx, and Vuori. Meanwhile, the service has already launched for Etsy sellers and is available to US ChatGPT Plus, Pro, and free users.

Industry Trends

The rise of AI-powered commerce, so-called "agentic commerce," has been progressing rapidly since 2025. According to Shopify Chairman Harley Finkelstein, AI-driven traffic has increased 7-fold year-over-year, and orders via AI search have surged 11-fold. This growth rate significantly exceeds traffic growth via traditional search engines.

The background to OpenAI introducing a fee model at this timing relates to the company's financial situation. With a monthly burn rate of approximately $400 million, revenue diversification is urgent for OpenAI. Purchase completion on chat interfaces is expected as a new monetization method that doesn't rely on advertising revenue.

Fee Structure Compared to Traditional Marketplaces

According to Marketplace Pulse analysis, ChatGPT's 4% fee is competitive compared to existing marketplaces.

• ChatGPT + Shopify: 4% + 2.9% = approximately 7%
• Amazon: 15% referral fee + advertising costs effectively 25-30%
• Walmart: 6-15% (paid search placement practically required)
• TikTok Shop: 8% + content creation costs
• Etsy: 6.5%

For a merchant with $1 million in annual sales, ChatGPT would cost approximately $69,000 in fees compared to $150,000-300,000 through Amazon. Azoma.ai evaluates this pricing as "a bargain compared to Amazon's 8-15% referral fee."

An additional important point is that ChatGPT has stated that "advertising never influences responses and is always clearly labeled." This contrasts with Amazon, where sellers spent $56.2 billion on advertising in 2024, with sponsored products overwhelming organic search results.

Technical Features of the Agentic Commerce Protocol

OpenAI has open-sourced the "Agentic Commerce Protocol" as the technical foundation supporting this service. According to Shopify's official announcement, this protocol was built in collaboration with Stripe and has the following features.

• Product discovery, comparison, and purchase completion within conversations
• Real-time product data (price, inventory, variations) integration
• Merchants maintain customer relationships and sales records
• Choice between standard checkout and Instant Checkout

Merchants participate on an opt-in basis rather than automatic enrollment. They can also individually choose participation in each AI platform including ChatGPT, Google AI Mode, and Microsoft Copilot. Notably, Google AI Mode and Microsoft Copilot have not set additional fees at this time.

Impact on EC Merchants and How to Leverage

This new sales channel provides EC merchants with multiple options.

• Lower fee rates than traditional marketplaces
• Product discovery opportunities without advertising costs
• Retention of customer data and relationships
• Improved conversion rates (approximately 30% improvement according to Adobe data)

• Understand that 4% fee is added to Shopify standard fees
• Active application required due to opt-in setup
• US market only (for now)
• Competitors Google and Microsoft offer free

PSE Consulting analyzes that "the 4% fee is roughly equivalent to the card processing fees small US merchants already pay." Considering the high-purchase-intent traffic that AI systems bring, the prevailing view is that this pricing is reasonable.

Summary

OpenAI's introduction of the 4% fee is a symbolic event marking AI commerce's transition from "experimental initiatives" to "full-fledged revenue models." While traditional marketplaces have exercised dominance through search algorithms and ad placement, AI platforms are establishing a position to control purchase decisions themselves.

Marketplace Pulse estimates that ChatGPT could generate GMV (Gross Merchandise Value) of $5.5 billion. This is comparable to Etsy's scale but represents less than 1% of Amazon's third-party marketplace (estimated at $575 billion).

However, given that AI traffic grew 7-fold and orders 11-fold in 2025, this landscape could change dramatically over the next few years. For EC merchants, now is the time to consider entering AI commerce while they can test new channels at low risk.