Agentic Commerce Protocol: The Future of eCommerce

Table of Contents
Introduction
From browsing to buying, the entire online shopping journey is being redefined by AI and OpenAI’s Agentic Commerce Protocol (ACP) is leading this transformation. With this breakthrough technology — powering “Instant Checkout” in ChatGPT — AI agents can now do more than recommend products; they can securely complete purchases on behalf of users.
In this blog, we’ll break down what the Agentic Commerce Protocol is, how it’s changing the future of AI-driven eCommerce and how businesses — from Shopify and Magento 2 merchants to fully custom-built platforms — can integrate ChatGPT-powered shopping experiences. We’ll also show how Webcreta Technologies helps eCommerce brands adopt this innovation from planning to full-scale implementation.
What is the Agentic Commerce Protocol (ACP) ?
The Agentic Commerce Protocol (ACP) is one of the most transformative innovations OpenAI has introduced for digital commerce. In short, it is the foundation that allows ChatGPT and similar AI agents to buy products directly from merchants — safely, securely, and seamlessly.
Before ACP, shopping through AI was limited: ChatGPT could recommend products but the user had to leave the chat, go to the merchant’s website and manually complete the purchase. ACP changes that entirely. It enables end-to-end shopping inside a conversation, turning AI from a passive assistant to an active purchasing agent that can handle transactions with full merchant control.
The Agentic Commerce Protocol (ACP) is an open standard co-developed by OpenAI and Stripe to make this possible. In simple terms, ACP is what allows ChatGPT to act as a personal AI shopping assistant that can browse products, check availability, compare options and even help customers make secure purchases directly through conversation.
How Does the Agentic Protocol Work?

While the technical structure of the Agentic Commerce Protocol (ACP) is complex, the goal is simple — to let AI agents like ChatGPT interact with eCommerce platforms and enable conversational AI-driven shopping experiences from product discovery to checkout.
I) Product Feed / Catalog Exposure:
Merchants first create an ACP-compatible product feed with structured data like product titles, prices, variants, images, availability and reviews.
Through ChatGPT commerce integration, the AI can instantly understand the store’s offerings and show relevant products when users search or ask in chat.
II) User Converses with ChatGPT:
A user interacts with the AI shopping assistant — for example:
“Show me men’s running shoes under $120 that ship to New York.
”ChatGPT filters products using the merchant’s Agentic Commerce data feed and shows personalized recommendations right inside the chat window. This is conversational commerce where buying starts with dialogue not search bars.
III) “Buy” Trigger / Instant Checkout:
When the user finds the right product, ChatGPT shows a Buy Now or Instant Checkout button. The customer confirms details like shipping address, size or payment method — a frictionless AI shopping experience that combines conversation with conversion.
IV) Protocol Request to Merchant Backend:
Once confirmed, ChatGPT communicates securely with the merchant’s backend via ACP APIs, sending checkout data like cart items, buyer details and shipping options.
This means ChatGPT for Shopify, Magento 2 or WooCommerce stores can process orders in real time — powered by ACP commerce protocol integration.
V) Merchant Validates & Processes Payment:
The merchant’s system validates inventory, pricing, taxes and applies business logic before completing the payment using its existing gateway.
This ensures AI driven eCommerce transactions are under the merchant’s control — maintaining compliance, trust and security.
VI) ChatGPT Displays Order Confirmation:
After payment the AI assistant confirms the order within the chat interface — showing tracking details, estimated delivery or any status updates.
The order still lives in the merchant’s system, full ownership and customer data control.
VII) Secure Delegated Payment (SPT):
To ensure safety, ACP uses a Shared Payment Token (SPT) — a one-time, encrypted payment token.
This allows OpenAI’s ChatGPT commerce protocol to handle payments securely without exposing sensitive information.
Why Agentic Commerce is a Transforming Online Shopping

I) From Browsing to Buying — All in Chat:
Traditional eCommerce involves multiple steps:
(Search → Browse → Filter → Click product → Add to cart → Checkout → Payment → Confirmation)
With ACP and ChatGPT commerce integration, that journey becomes instant.
Users can simply ask and buy directly within the chat, without visiting multiple pages. This frictionless process reduces the path to purchase, drop-offs and increases conversion rates.
II) Highly Personalized, Contextual, and Conversational:
The power of AI shopping assistants like ChatGPT lies in context and memory. These agents don’t just respond, they learn, adapt and personalise:
They ask clarifying questions.
They remember past preferences or purchase history.
They suggest bundles, complementary items, or upgrades — all within the conversation.
This level of personalisation makes conversational commerce far more engaging than static “recommended for you” widgets. It’s a true one on one digital shopping experience.
III) Higher Reach — Be Discovered in Conversation:
Once a business integrates the Agentic Commerce Protocol, its catalog becomes discoverable inside ChatGPT.
This means customers can find your products without ever visiting your website, just by asking ChatGPT for recommendations.
For merchants this opens a new discovery channel — AI driven visibility — reaching customers who prefer to shop through chat rather than traditional search engines.
( READ MORE – How to Optimize Your Ecommerce Store for Conversions )
IV) Maintain Brand & Relationship Control:
Unlike traditional marketplaces, ACP ensures the merchant remains the merchant of record.
Your brand, pricing, and fulfillment process stay intact:
You control inventory, returns, and support.
You decide discounts, offers, and policies.
You retain ownership of customer data and relationships (with user consent).
V) Trust, Privacy & Security Built-In:
Users approve every purchase — AI never acts autonomously.
Payments use secure, short-lived tokens (Shared Payment Tokens).
Only minimal customer data is shared to complete the order, protecting privacy and compliance.
This structure ensures safe, transparent, and fully traceable transactions — building confidence for both merchants and shoppers.
VI) Seamless Integration Across Major eCommerce Platforms:
One of the biggest advantages of the Agentic Commerce Protocol (ACP) is its flexibility. It can be implemented across leading platforms like Shopify, Magento 2, WooCommerce, BigCommerce or even custom built eCommerce stores.
With ChatGPT commerce integration your existing store doesn’t need a complete rebuild. ACP works through APIs and structured data feeds, so businesses can extend their existing infrastructure to support AI driven shopping experiences without disrupting daily operations.
| Platform | Key Benefits with ChatGPT Integration | Best Use Cases / Ideal For | Integration Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shopify |
- Quick setup with ACP-ready APIs and plugins - Access to millions of ChatGPT users via AI search and Instant Checkout - Perfect for SMBs wanting to boost conversions without complex dev work |
Small-to-mid-size merchants Looking to expand reach through AI-powered conversational commerce |
- Enable ChatGPT for Shopify app - Configure product feed and payment endpoints - Leverage Shopify Flow for post-order automation |
| Magento 2 (Adobe Commerce) |
- Highly customizable ACP integration with full backend control - AI can manage product discovery, checkout, and post-purchase messaging - Supports enterprise-grade personalization and scalability |
Large or enterprise retailers seeking customized AI commerce protocol setup |
- Use REST/GraphQL APIs for ACP endpoints - Integrate AI shopping assistant into existing UX - Map ACP checkout to Magento Order API |
| WooCommerce (WordPress) |
- Easy to implement with open-source flexibility - Add conversational shopping to any store via ChatGPT plugins or APIs - Cost-effective for startups and small stores |
SMBs or D2C brands wanting low-cost entry into AI-driven eCommerce |
- Use WooCommerce REST API for ACP connection - Optimize feed with structured product metadata - Integrate ChatGPT AI chatbot for guided shopping |
| BigCommerce |
- Headless-ready architecture makes ACP adoption seamless - Works well with multi-channel and B2B setups - Supports scalable, cloud-native AI integrations |
Growing brands or enterprises managing multi-store or B2B commerce |
- Use BigCommerce’s API layer to expose product data - Integrate ChatGPT commerce assistant for quotes & orders - Sync order data securely via ACP APIs |
| Custom-Built or Headless Stores |
- Maximum flexibility and full API control - Tailor the Agentic Commerce flow to complex systems (ERP, OMS, CRM) - Create unique, branded AI-driven shopping experiences |
Enterprises, marketplaces, or tech-first startups wanting full ownership of AI logic |
- Implement ACP endpoints from scratch - Integrate AI agents for discovery, checkout & post-sales - Support delegated payments via Shared Payment Tokens (SPT) |
















