Tags: Stripe

OpenAI announced it will de‑prioritize the Instant Checkout feature that let users purchase items directly within ChatGPT. Launched in September, the checkout tool failed to attract significant use, prompting the company to pivot toward enhancing product discovery and detailed consumer information. Merchants can still integrate their own checkout experiences through apps in the chatbot, while OpenAI develops its Agentic Commerce Protocol with Stripe to serve as a centralized hub for product research. Read more

Sphere, the AI-driven tax compliance platform founded by Nicholas Rudder, has closed a $21 million Series A round led by a16z, with participation from YC and Felicis Ventures. The San Francisco‑based startup automates global tax registration, calculation, filing, and remittance for companies expanding internationally. Integrations with major billing systems like Stripe enable real‑time tax assessment, while its proprietary AI engine, TRAM, codifies jurisdictional rules and provides citation‑backed determinations. Sphere aims to extend its infrastructure to more tax authorities, grow its engineering and sales teams, and become the essential tool for finance teams navigating cross‑border compliance. Read more

OpenAI has introduced an Instant Checkout feature that lets ChatGPT users in the United States buy directly from Etsy and upcoming Shopify merchants without leaving the conversation. The tool surfaces product details, reviews, and pricing, then allows users to confirm orders, shipping, and payment through options such as Apple Pay, Google Pay, Stripe, or credit cards. OpenAI describes the product results as organic and unsponsored, and it will charge merchants a small fee for completed purchases. The move positions OpenAI as a new gatekeeper in e‑commerce, challenging established platforms like Google and Amazon. Read more

OpenAI introduced Instant Checkout, a new feature that lets users purchase individual items from Etsy sellers directly inside ChatGPT. Powered by the Agentic Commerce Protocol developed with Stripe, the service currently supports single‑item purchases in the United States for both free and paid ChatGPT users. OpenAI says the rollout will expand to include multi‑item carts, more regions, and a broader set of merchants, with over a million Shopify sellers slated to adopt the technology soon. Payments are processed by the merchant, and merchants cover a small fee without affecting product prices. Read more

OpenAI has introduced an Instant Checkout feature that lets ChatGPT users buy directly from U.S.-based Etsy sellers within the chat interface. The tool displays product details, prices and reviews, and allows users to confirm orders, shipping and payment without leaving the conversation. OpenAI says the feature will soon expand to more than one million Shopify merchants and will operate on a small fee model for completed purchases. The company also plans to open source the underlying Agentic Commerce Protocol, built with Stripe, to enable broader integration of AI‑driven checkout experiences. Read more

Google announced an open Agent Payments Protocol, dubbed AP2, to enable AI agents to shop and transact on behalf of users. Backed by dozens of merchants and major financial institutions, the protocol aims for interoperability across AI platforms, payment networks and vendors while maintaining a verifiable transaction trail. Google executives Stavan Parikh and Rao Surapaneni highlighted the commitment to an open, collaborative development process. AP2 introduces a two‑step approval system—intent and cart mandates—to safeguard user intent, and includes provisions for fully automated purchases. Partnerships with crypto firms such as Coinbase, Metamask and the Ethereum Foundation expand the protocol to digital wallets, while industry players like Perplexity, Stripe, Mastercard, American Express and PayPal have shown support. Read more