Imagine this: A parent with a college-bound teenager opens ChatGPT and types:

“What’s the best scholarship guide for first-gen students?”

Instead of juggling Google results, blog posts, and checkout forms, they see your product recommended inside the chat. Two clicks later, the purchase is complete. No websites. No forms. No friction.

That’s not the future — it’s happening right now through OpenAI’s new Agentic Commerce Protocol (ACP).

AI is no longer just helping people find products — it’s helping them buy. With ACP, discovery and purchase collapse into a single, seamless flow. This isn’t an incremental upgrade to e-commerce; it’s a new channel entirely.

ACP is still new, but it represents a fundamental shift. Here’s what it is, why it matters, and how you can start positioning yourself today.

What ACP Is

ACP is an open standard (developed by OpenAI and Stripe) that enables direct transactions between AI agents, users, and merchants.

How it works:

• Merchants provide structured product feeds

• AI agents (like ChatGPT) surface those products in conversations

• Buyers checkout with secure, tokenized delegated payments

• Merchants remain in control of fulfillment, returns, and customer relationships

  
  

Think of ACP as the “checkout button for AI conversations” — standardized, secure, and merchant-owned.

Currently, ACP is live in ChatGPT Instant Checkout, starting with U.S. Etsy sellers and Stripe merchants.

Why It Matters

Until now, e-commerce has been built around websites and search engines. ACP changes the game:

• Zero-Click Commerce – Discovery and purchase happen in one motion.

• New Discovery Channel – Your products can show up inside AI chats, not just search results.

• Merchant-First Design – You keep ownership of the customer relationship.

• Open Ecosystem – ACP won’t be locked to one platform.

• First-Mover Advantage – Few businesses even know this exists yet.

  
  

This shift is as significant as the rise of social commerce a decade ago. Being early means owning long-term positioning.

What You Can Do Now

For Creators

• Keep your storefront (Shopify, Gumroad, etc.) and monitor ACP integration

• Mirror digital products on Etsy to test ACP today

• Rewrite product descriptions with clear, benefit-driven, keyword-rich copy

Quick win: Rewrite the top 3 product listings for AI discovery.

For Small Businesses

• If you use Stripe Checkout, you’re ACP-ready

• Optimize product feeds (no missing fields, clean attributes)

• Experiment with low-friction digital offers

Quick win: Enable Stripe Checkout on your highest-demand product.

For Consultants / Agencies

• Educate clients — most aren’t aware ACP exists

• Package a new service: “AI-Discoverable Commerce Readiness”

• Position yourself as the ACP expert in your niche

Quick win: Share this blog with 3 clients today.

Current Limits

• Only U.S. Etsy + Stripe merchants supported (so far)

• Single-item checkout only

• Limited discovery surfaces (mostly ChatGPT today)

Early adopters get the learning curve advantage.

The Takeaway

ACP is the first serious step toward AI-native commerce.

Even if your platform hasn’t integrated yet, you can:

• ✅ Get your products onto ACP-enabled channels

• ✅ Optimize your metadata for AI readability

• ✅ Educate your audience or clients

• ✅ Claim early authority in your space

AI shopping isn’t a trend — it’s a channel shift. Those who prepare early will be the ones customers find (and buy from) first.

Next Step

I’m building a free ACP Implementation Checklist + Visual Strategy Guide at Skylark 118. Want early access? Join my newsletter and I’ll send it to you first.

Your products can now be discovered and purchased inside AI conversations.

The question is: Will you be ready when your customers start shopping this way?