OpenAI launches ChatGPT Wallet so agents can pay without card details

What ChatGPT Wallet does

OpenAI has launched ChatGPT Wallet, a payment feature that allows AI agents inside ChatGPT to buy items on a user's behalf. According to Ghacks, the agent never sees the actual card number, and every purchase requires a security check before it goes through. OpenAI built the feature together with American Express, Mastercard and Visa.

The company says 1.2 billion people use ChatGPT every week, and that many of them already use the service to research products and compare options. The wallet is intended to let them finish the purchase in the same place.

How a purchase works

A user adds a card once, then approves each individual purchase without typing payment details again. For every transaction, the user first reviews the items, the total and the card that will be charged. Approval happens through a biometric check such as Face ID or a fingerprint scan.

Once approved, the payment network issues a payment token, which is a stand-in card number with its own security code and expiry date. The charge lands on the chosen card, but the shop and the agent never receive the real card details.

Each approval also creates a record of exactly what the user allowed the agent to buy. OpenAI says users keep their card rewards and the card's protections for eligible disputes, for instance when an item arrives faulty. Because the purchase is made directly from the business, the shop keeps control over pricing, delivery, returns and customer service.

Spending limits and future plans

OpenAI plans to go further and let users hand purchases over to their agent completely. In that model, users would set clear limits in advance, and purchases within those limits would be pre-approved, backed by biometric checks and records of authorisation.

The company has not said when the wallet will reach Plus or free users, or when it will arrive in countries outside the United States. That leaves the current rollout unclear for most of ChatGPT's audience.

Help for businesses

Some websites block purchases made by agents without intending to. Alongside the wallet, OpenAI has published a Commerce Partner Playbook that explains how businesses can make product information available, allow ChatGPT agents to reach their site, and work with payment and risk providers to cut down on unnecessary declines.

OpenAI recommends that businesses configure their content delivery network or firewall to recognise signed requests from ChatGPT agents through Web Bot Auth. It also suggests claiming a business in ChatGPT and uploading a product feed with current prices and stock levels.

What the card networks say

American Express describes the wallet as its first Agentic Commerce Experiences integration.

The involvement of all three major card networks suggests the payment industry is treating agent-driven shopping as a serious direction. For users, the main appeal is that an AI assistant can complete a purchase without ever holding the card itself, while every transaction still needs an explicit approval.