OpenAI launches ChatGPT Wallet for agent-led purchases in the US

OpenAI ChatGPT Wallet launched on November 13 as a limited US service that allows the company’s “dots” agents to complete purchases after user approval. OpenAI said the product is initially open to ChatGPT Pro subscribers aged 18 or older who hold eligible US-issued cards, and was built with American Express, Mastercard and Visa.

The launch introduces a payment function to ChatGPT’s agent service rather than a broad autonomous-shopping feature. At launch, a user must approve every purchase. OpenAI said it is limiting availability while it works with businesses, banks and payment networks on compatibility and reliability.

How does ChatGPT Wallet work?

A user enters an eligible card into the wallet once, then may ask a dot agent to find and complete a purchase. Before payment, the user is shown the items, total cost and selected card. The transaction proceeds only after a security check such as Face ID or a fingerprint scan, according to OpenAI.

Following that approval, the payment network supplies a token that substitutes for the underlying card details. OpenAI said the merchant and the agent do not receive the actual card information, while the charge is made to the selected card. Each approval also creates a record of the transaction the user authorised.

OpenAI said existing card rewards and protections for eligible disputes remain available. Those protections remain subject to eligibility, and the user continues to transact directly with the merchant, which retains responsibility for pricing, fulfilment, returns and customer service.

What does the launch mean for merchants?

Merchants do not need to adopt a separate checkout system for the token itself, according to OpenAI, but their websites must permit agent access. A site, content-delivery network or firewall that blocks ChatGPT agents can prevent a purchase from being completed.

Payment and fraud-risk systems also need to identify legitimate agent-led transactions. OpenAI said transactions may otherwise be declined or cancelled. The company published a Commerce Partner Playbook covering product information, agent access and coordination with payment and risk providers, and said it is working with fraud-prevention groups Forter, Riskified, Sardine and Signifyd, as well as Adyen, Checkout.com and Stripe.

Can an agent buy without approval?

That is not the launch model described by OpenAI. The company said it expects users eventually may delegate purchases under preset conditions, including spending caps, product categories or time periods, with additional safeguards. It did not give a timetable for that capability.

ChatGPT Wallet is separate from ChatGPT’s account balance, which OpenAI describes in its help documentation as a US-dollar balance for eligible purchases on the ChatGPT website, including gift-card funds and billing credits. The available information does not specify a complete list of participating merchants or cards, any fees, availability outside the US, or a schedule for a wider rollout.

This story draws on original reporting from Finextra Research.