Agentic Commerce Protocol (ACP)

ACP · Agentic Commerce Protocol

Definition

ACP is the open protocol from OpenAI and Stripe for purchases inside an AI dialogue; it powers Instant Checkout in ChatGPT and uses a shared payment token for secure settlement.

What ACP is and where it came from

Before September 2025, buying through ChatGPT meant receiving a link and going to the merchant’s
site yourself. ACP removed that gap: an AI agent can now complete the purchase inside the
conversation.

OpenAI and Stripe built an open specification standardising three stages: product discovery,
order data exchange and secure payment. The first partners were Etsy and a set of Shopify
merchants, and the protocol expanded quickly from there.

How a transaction flows

Shopper → ChatGPT → the merchant's ACP API
                          ↓
                 shared payment token
                          ↓
                 Stripe / PayPal / another provider
                          ↓
                 order confirmation → merchant

The security element is the shared payment token: the agent receives a single-use token instead
of real payment credentials. The shopper stores the payment method in advance, and the merchant
only ever sees that payment succeeded.

What ACP changes for a retailer

Before	With ACP
The agent gives a link, the person goes to the site	The purchase completes inside the dialogue
Funnel: traffic → product page → cart → payment	Funnel: request → selection → payment
SEO is the main discovery channel	SEO plus agent-readiness determines visibility

Tip: connecting ACP needs a structured product feed with current prices and availability, an
order placement API and an integration with a payment provider that supports the protocol. That is
where agent-readiness starts.

The protocol is open

ACP is an open standard. A merchant is not obliged to run on Stripe: OpenAI published a delegated
payments specification allowing alternative providers, and PayPal announced support in October 2025.
Adjacent protocols exist in parallel — AP2 from Google over A2A, and the proposed universal commerce
standard — so a retailer’s practical question is which agent ecosystems matter in its markets.

Frequently asked questions

How does ACP differ from other agent payment protocols?

ACP is a commerce interaction protocol — discovery, selection, order placement — built by OpenAI and Stripe. The Google-ecosystem equivalents focus specifically on authorising the transaction between agents. They solve adjacent problems from different ecosystems, and a retailer can support more than one.

Does supporting ACP require Stripe?

No. Stripe is the primary path, but the protocol is open. OpenAI published a delegated payments specification that allows other payment providers to connect. PayPal announced support in October 2025.

What does the shopper see in Instant Checkout?

A buy button inside the ChatGPT conversation, with no redirect to the merchant's site. Payment runs through their stored payment method, and the merchant receives a standard order notification through the API.