OpenAI introduced an Instant Checkout feature in ChatGPT last year, letting users browse and buy products without leaving the chat interface. Google soon followed with shoppable product listings in its Gemini app, and now Microsoft has announced a similar checkout experience for Copilot.
According to Microsoft, Copilot Checkout lets users browse, compare, and buy products without leaving the chat screen. The company has partnered with Shopify, PayPal, and Stripe to enable the experience and promises a friction-free onboarding process for businesses that want to participate.
The feature is rolling out in Copilot on the web in the US, and merchants who rely on Shopify will be automatically enrolled “following an opt-out window.” Businesses using PayPal or Stripe for payments will have to submit an application to become a Copilot Checkout merchant.
Microsoft says it has already partnered with several merchants, confirming that Copilot Checkout will support Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie, Ashley Furniture, and select Etsy sellers at launch. The company also notes that participating merchants will remain the merchant of record for all transactions and retain ownership of transaction data, customer data, and customer relationships.
Microsoft is also helping brands deploy custom AI shopping assistants
Alongside Copilot Checkout, Microsoft has also introduced AI-powered shopping assistants for merchant websites called Brand Agents. These agents are tailored to the merchant’s needs and can respond in their brand voice, guide customers through product discovery and comparison, answer questions product-related, surface checkout links, and offer post-purchase recommendations.
Merchants using Brand Agents will get access to a dedicated dashboard with helpful insights such as engagement rates, conversion uplift, average order value, and performance comparisons between agent-assisted sessions and organic traffic. Brand Agents are rolling out to Shopify merchants, and interested businesses can sign up for early access by installing Microsoft Clarity on their Shopify store.