Will ChatGPT Become OpenAI’s New Revenue Stream?

OpenAI has big plans for ChatGPT shopping. Instead of just showing product links that send you to other websites, they want to handle the entire purchase inside the chat.

Here’s how it works

You ask ChatGPT about a product, it shows you options, and you can buy directly without clicking away. OpenAI takes a cut from every sale.

The feature is still being built, but OpenAI and Shopify have been showing early versions to brands. They’re already talking money – specifically how much commission retailers will pay.

Following the Money

ChatGPT gets massive traffic, so even small commissions could add up fast. Right now, the chatbot just shows product suggestions with links to retailer sites. OpenAI sees all that potential business walking out the door.

They launched better product displays earlier this year. Now they want to capture the actual transactions too.

The Shopify partnership makes sense. OpenAI gets e-commerce expertise, and Shopify gets AI integration. Both companies win.

Cash Flow Problems

OpenAI’s finances explain the rush. Revenue jumped from $5.5 billion in December 2024 to $10 billion by June 2025. Sounds great, right?

Wrong. They still lost around $5 billion last year. Running AI costs serious money, and subscription fees aren’t covering everything.

Taking a slice of product sales could help balance the books. Every ChatGPT conversation that ends with a purchase becomes a revenue opportunity.

What This Means for Everyone

For shoppers, it could be convenient. No more jumping between ChatGPT and shopping sites. Ask about running shoes, get recommendations, and buy immediately.

For retailers, it’s another platform to manage. They’ll need to decide if ChatGPT’s audience is worth paying extra fees on top of existing marketplace commissions.

For Amazon and other e-commerce giants, it’s a new competitor. If people start shopping through chat conversations, traditional e-commerce sites could lose traffic.

The Bigger Picture

This shows how AI companies are expanding beyond their original purpose. ChatGPT started as a writing assistant. Now it wants to become a shopping assistant too.

Success isn’t guaranteed. People need to actually want to shop this way, and merchants need to see enough value to pay commissions.

But if it works, ChatGPT could become a serious player in online retail. The company that revolutionised AI chatbots might just revolutionise online shopping too.

Based on Reuters reporting