OpenAI rolls out ChatGPT Wallet to let Dots AI agents make purchases

OpenAI’s Dots personal AI agents are gaining the ability to shop, with the launch of ChatGPT Wallet today. The digital wallet substitutes a payment token for a user’s credit card details and lets its Dot make purchases.

ChatGPT Wallet is available to US-based ChatGPT Pro subscribers who have a US-issued Visa, Mastercard, or American Express card. OpenAI said that while Dots will assist in the purchase process, users will review the items, be apprised of the total, select the card to use, and approve the purchase with a security check such as Face ID or a fingerprint scan. The goal, though, is for the agents to ultimately have more control.

“Over time, we expect users to be able to delegate purchases entirely to their agent by setting clear parameters — such as spending limits, purchase categories, or time periods — and pre-approve those purchases with enhanced safeguards that build on today’s protections, including biometric checks and clear records of authorization,” OpenAI said.

To use ChatGPT Wallet, users add a card one time, use a Dot to assist with a purchase, and then approve the purchase. The ChatGPT Wallet then charges the card using a payment token instead of the card’s number, security code, and expiration date. A record of the purchase is produced. OpenAI said that ChatGPT Wallet preserves existing card rewards and does not affect card protections for eligible disputes.

Alongside the announcement of ChatGPT Wallet, OpenAI published a Commerce Partner Playbook⁠ that has “tools and practical guidance to help businesses support customers using agents.” One of the stated objectives is to ensure agent access, which is a contentious and growing issue for retailers and service providers.

Many businesses have begun blocking agents from browsing and purchasing on their platforms. Amazon moved to block Meta’s Muse from shopping on its site almost immediately, GeekWire reported last month. And just this week United Airlines announced a policy to restrict agent access to its digital platforms both directly and indirectly via travel agencies and aggregators.

Of course, the other hurdle that ChatGPT Wallet has to overcome is customers themselves, who are inundated by stories about hallucinating AI and OpenAI’s own admissions about its models committing cybersecurity breaches.