Instacart x OpenAI: Shop and pay in ChatGPT

OpenAI and Instacart have deepened their partnership with a fully embedded grocery shopping app inside ChatGPT, allowing people to discover meal ideas, build a basket, and check out without leaving the chat. It’s a notable step towards agentic, conversational commerce: you describe what you need; the assistant sources items from nearby retailers and processes payment in‑flow.

Why this matters now

For years, “chat to buy” has been more promise than practice. The new Instacart app changes the experience by integrating shopping and payment directly into ChatGPT rather than handing you off to another site. That reduces friction, which typically boosts conversion, and it anchors the entire journey in a single conversation that understands your intent. Crucially, the app respects the retailer network Instacart already runs — more than 1,800 retailers participate — so availability and fulfilment are grounded in real inventory and local delivery options.

How it works

Within ChatGPT, you open the Instacart app, sign in, and ask naturally: “I’m cooking for four, 30‑minute veggie pasta — what do I need?” The assistant proposes items carried by nearby stores, adds them to a cart you can review, and then uses Instant Checkout to complete purchase inside ChatGPT. Early coverage notes you can brainstorm meals, generate a list, and pay in one flow, with an emphasis on speed and simplicity. The integration is live on desktop and mobile web, with mobile apps rolling out shortly. As with other Instant Checkout experiences, multi‑item and regional expansion are on the roadmap.

What’s new vs previous plugins

Earlier experiences relied on plugins or hand‑offs to an external basket. This launch is different: embedded, end‑to‑end commerce in ChatGPT, including payment, presented by Instacart as a first of its kind for grocery. It builds on OpenAI’s broader Instant Checkout initiative, which began with Etsy and Shopify sellers and is expanding to larger retail partners. For consumers, the benefit is fewer taps and a single conversational context. For merchants, it’s a new front door to purchase, with OpenAI facilitating checkout and Instacart handling fulfilment.

Practical examples

• “Plan a week of low‑waste dinners for two under £60; create a basket with substitutes if my local store is out.”

• “I’m coeliac — suggest a gluten‑free version of this recipe and source the ingredients.”

• “Build a holiday party snacks list for 12 and schedule delivery for Friday 6pm.”

Each prompt becomes a short back‑and‑forth that ends with a ready‑to‑review cart and a single, secure payment step.

Instacart and OpenAI have launched a fully integrated grocery shopping app inside ChatGPT, letting users discover items, build a cart and pay with Instant Checkout without leaving the chat. The experience leverages Instacart’s network of 1,800+ retailers and marks a shift from plugins to embedded, end‑to‑end conversational commerce.

FAQs

What is the main benefit of the partnership?
A simpler, faster journey: meal planning, item selection, and checkout inside ChatGPT. No hand‑offs or extra tabs.

How does Instant Checkout work here?
After you review your cart, payment is processed within the ChatGPT flow via OpenAI’s Instant Checkout, then fulfilment proceeds through Instacart’s retailer network.

Where is it available?
The embedded experience is rolling out on desktop and mobile web now, with iOS/Android availability following. Regional coverage follows Instacart’s operating markets and supported retailers.

How is this different from earlier Instacart integrations?
This is embedded commerce: you can complete the entire journey — discovery to payment — within ChatGPT. Previous approaches often redirected you to an external app for checkout.

Next Steps

The Instacart app inside ChatGPT is an early look at agentic commerce — using natural language to plan, source, and purchase in one place. If you’re exploring similar integrations, focus on low‑friction flows, permissioned data, and clear disclosures around fulfilment and returns.

Interested in conversational commerce? Generation Digital can help design prompts, evaluate flows, and integrate checkout safely.