# Article Name OpenAI's ChatGPT Checkout Explained—Plus an Alternative for Affiliate Revenue # Article Summary OpenAI launched ChatGPT Checkout in September 2024, letting users buy products directly in chat via Stripe's Agentic Commerce Protocol. This article explains External Checkout vs Instant Checkout, the developer concerns with direct commerce (returns, inventory, PCI compliance), and positions affiliate revenue through ChatAds as a complementary monetization approach with zero operational overhead. # Original URL https://www.getchatads.com/blog/chatgpt-checkout-affiliate-revenue/ # Details ## Understanding ChatGPT Checkout ChatGPT Checkout is OpenAI's native commerce integration built on the Agentic Commerce Protocol (ACP). The protocol extends Anthropic's Model Context Protocol (MCP) and has been adopted by Google and Microsoft. Two implementation paths exist: - External Checkout: Redirects users to your merchant site for payment. OpenAI recommends this approach. You control pricing, fulfillment, and the transaction flow. - Instant Checkout: Processes payments directly within ChatGPT using Stripe. Currently in beta, limited to select marketplace partners selling physical goods. For Stripe merchants, integration takes one line of code. Sam Altman confirmed OpenAI will charge approximately 2% commission on purchases. Market context: The AI assistant market is projected to grow from $3.35B to $21.11B by 2030 (44.5% CAGR). 85% of enterprises plan to implement AI agents by end of 2025. ## External Checkout: How It Works External Checkout is recommended for developers not ready for in-app payments. Users express purchase intent in ChatGPT, then redirect to your website for checkout. Benefits: - Uses your existing payment processor - Full control over pricing and promotions - No new compliance requirements - Works with subscription models - Handles both physical and digital products Tradeoff: Users leave the chat interface. Conversion rates typically drop 15-30% compared to in-app checkout. Technical requirements: Commerce-enabled website, payment processor integration, webhook handling for order status updates. ## Instant Checkout: How It Works Instant Checkout processes payments directly within the chat window. The system uses the complete_checkout tool from MCP's commerce protocol. Your app calls requestCheckout() with product details, pricing, and merchant information. Stripe handles payment processing. Transaction flow: 1. User expresses purchase intent in chat 2. Your app calls requestCheckout() with product data 3. ChatGPT displays payment interface 4. User confirms purchase 5. Stripe processes payment 6. Your app receives webhook notification 7. ChatGPT confirms order to user Current limitations: - Beta access only (select partners) - Physical goods only (no digital products or services) - Requires Stripe merchant account - Subject to OpenAI's 2% commission - Limited customization of payment UI ## Developer Concerns With Checkout Direct commerce in ChatGPT adds operational complexity: Returns and refunds: Your responsibility. No standardized return flow yet in the ACP specification. Inventory synchronization: Requires real-time updates. Most developers build webhook listeners to push inventory changes to OpenAI's API. Subscription management: Monthly subscriptions, annual renewals, and upgrade paths need custom handling. MCP commerce protocol doesn't currently specify subscription lifecycle patterns. Accidental purchases: More frequent in conversational interfaces. Need confirmation flows and clear cancellation policies. PCI compliance: Requirements don't change. Stripe helps, but your systems touching payment data still need compliance. Customer support: Users expect to manage orders through ChatGPT, your website, and email. Building unified order management takes engineering resources. These challenges make direct commerce best suited for companies with existing e-commerce infrastructure. ## Alternative: Affiliate Revenue with ChatAds Affiliate revenue earns commissions by recommending products users buy elsewhere. ChatAds handles this through a single API call. When your agent mentions a product, ChatAds automatically finds the best affiliate link and inserts it. Users click through to merchant sites like Amazon, Target, or Walmart. You earn 3-8% commission. Key difference from checkout: Zero inventory, no returns processing, no PCI compliance requirements. Integration flow: 1. User asks for product recommendations 2. Your agent generates a response 3. Before sending to user, call ChatAds API with the message 4. ChatAds extracts product mentions and inserts affiliate links 5. User receives response with clickable product links 6. User purchases from merchant site 7. You earn commission automatically ChatAds charges a subscription fee ($29-$249/month based on usage), not a commission split. You keep 100% of affiliate earnings. What ChatAds handles: - Product keyword extraction using LLM analysis - Affiliate network lookups across 15+ networks - Link insertion with natural formatting - Commission tracking and reporting - FTC disclosure management - Rate limiting and error handling No affiliate network relationships needed. ChatAds has pre-existing partnerships with ShareASale, CJ Affiliate, Impact, and others. ## Comparison: Direct Commerce vs Affiliate Revenue | Factor | ChatGPT Checkout | Affiliate Revenue (ChatAds) | |--------|------------------|----------------------------| | Revenue per transaction | Full product margin minus 2% OpenAI fee | 3-8% affiliate commission | | Inventory required | Yes (physical goods) | No | | Returns handling | Your responsibility | Merchant handles | | PCI compliance | Required | Not required | | Setup complexity | Stripe integration, webhooks, order management | Single API integration | | Product catalog | Your products only | Millions across multiple merchants | | User experience | In-chat purchase (Instant) or redirect (External) | Click to merchant site | | Fulfillment | Your infrastructure | Merchant handles | | Customer support | Your team | Merchant team | Direct commerce: Best when selling your own products with existing e-commerce infrastructure. Affiliate revenue: Best for informational agents, product recommendation engines, shopping assistants. The approaches aren't mutually exclusive. Implement both: checkout for your own products, affiliate links for complementary items. ## Which Approach to Use Use ChatGPT Checkout when: - You sell your own physical products - You have existing e-commerce infrastructure - You need control over the entire customer experience - Your margins justify the operational overhead - You're already PCI compliant - You have customer support capacity for order issues Use affiliate revenue when: - You don't hold inventory - Your agent provides product recommendations - You want minimal operational complexity - You're building an MVP or early-stage product - You need access to products across multiple brands - Your value is in curation, not sales Use both when: - You sell branded products but also recommend complementary items - You want to test market demand before stocking inventory - Your agent serves different user intents (browsing vs buying) Building commerce infrastructure takes months. Integrating affiliate revenue takes days. Most developers should start with affiliate revenue to prove market demand, then add direct commerce later if users actively request your own products. ## FAQ What is ChatGPT Checkout? ChatGPT Checkout is OpenAI's native commerce feature that lets users purchase products directly within the ChatGPT interface. It launched in September 2024 with two options: External Checkout (redirects to merchant site) and Instant Checkout (in-app payments via Stripe). Currently, Instant Checkout is in beta and limited to select marketplace partners selling physical goods. Do I need PCI compliance to use ChatGPT Checkout? Yes. If you're handling payment data through ChatGPT Checkout, you still need PCI DSS certification. Stripe handles the payment processing, but your systems touching card data must remain compliant. This is one reason many developers prefer affiliate revenue, which requires no PCI compliance. What commission does OpenAI charge on ChatGPT Checkout? Sam Altman confirmed OpenAI will charge approximately 2% on purchases made through ChatGPT Checkout. This fee applies only to direct commerce transactions processed through the platform, not to affiliate revenue earned through external links. How does affiliate revenue compare to direct commerce for AI agents? Direct commerce gives you full product margins (minus OpenAI's 2% fee) but requires inventory, fulfillment, returns handling, and PCI compliance. Affiliate revenue earns 3-8% commissions with zero operational overhead. Most developers start with affiliate revenue to validate demand before investing in commerce infrastructure. Can I use both ChatGPT Checkout and affiliate links? Yes. Many AI agents benefit from a hybrid approach. Use ChatGPT Checkout to sell your own branded products while earning affiliate commissions on complementary items from other brands. For example, a fitness AI could sell its supplement line via Checkout while earning affiliate revenue on recommended workout equipment. What is the Agentic Commerce Protocol (ACP)? ACP is the technical standard powering ChatGPT Checkout, developed by OpenAI and Stripe. It extends Anthropic's Model Context Protocol (MCP) and has been adopted by Google and Microsoft. ACP enables standardized checkout flows across AI platforms, including the requestCheckout() function and complete_checkout MCP tool. How long does it take to integrate affiliate revenue vs ChatGPT Checkout? Affiliate revenue integration through ChatAds takes less than 50 lines of code and can be completed in a day. ChatGPT Checkout requires Stripe integration, webhook handling, inventory management, and order fulfillment systems, which typically takes several weeks to implement properly.