OpenAI launches ChatGPT Wallet so AI agents can make purchases for US Pro users

What launched

OpenAI introduced ChatGPT Wallet on Friday, 13 November, a payment feature that lets its dots agents buy products on a user's behalf. The dots are AI agents that work on tasks in the background, and users can ask them to find a laptop under 1,000 euros, compare prices across five electronics stores or book a flight to London. The service was built with American Express, Mastercard and Visa. At first it is open only to ChatGPT Pro subscribers in the United States who are over 18 and hold eligible cards.

How payments are approved

Eligible users enter their card details once, then ask the agent to find products and prepare a purchase. Before paying, they can review the selected items, the total and the card to be charged, and then confirm with a biometric check such as facial recognition or a fingerprint scan. For now every transaction needs that approval. OpenAI says the dots never get direct access to card data. Instead, the payment networks issue a payment token with a temporary card number, security code and expiry date that work only for that single transaction.

Revenue and the road ahead

OpenAI says it will not take a commission on purchases made through the Wallet, at least at the start, and its immediate priority is building relationships with merchants. Purchases could eventually become a new revenue source for the company. Over time, OpenAI expects users to hand buying over to their agents by setting spending limits, product categories or time windows in advance. Luke Gebb, executive vice president and global head of innovation at American Express, said the limited rollout allows the technology to be tested in a controlled environment before wider release. OpenAI had more than 1.2 billion weekly active ChatGPT users and nearly 100 million paying users at the end of the third quarter, and an American Express representative said that base could speed up adoption once the company judges the service ready. The launch also renews OpenAI's push into AI shopping after it wound down an Instant Checkout feature earlier this year.

Context in a crowded agent market

OpenAI first presented the dots at its annual developer conference in late September, shortly after Meta's Muse service topped the App Store charts. Consumers are increasingly testing personal AI agents to manage calendars, book trips and handle other everyday chores. Not every business welcomes them. United Airlines said it will block such agents from its flight booking systems, and Amazon prevents them from buying on its platform, according to a Blesk.cz report. Agent-led shopping is still at an early stage, and OpenAI is starting with a narrow group of US subscribers before any wider expansion.