How AI Is Changing Online Checkout Forever
The Next Wave of E-commerce: Frictionless AI-Powered Shopping
In the relentless pursuit of 'frictionless' online shopping, a new frontier is emerging. Companies have long understood that the fewer steps a customer takes to buy something, the more likely they are to complete the purchase. Now, generative AI like ChatGPT is poised to take this concept to its logical conclusion, heralding a seismic shift in how we shop online.
Currently, if you ask an AI for a product, you're typically given a link to a retailer's website to finish the transaction. That extra click, however, is about to disappear. AI search engine Perplexity has already partnered with PayPal to allow users to buy things like travel and tickets directly within the chat, with PayPal handling the logistics. Furthermore, reports suggest an integrated checkout system is coming to ChatGPT, potentially involving partners like Shopify, where OpenAI would take a commission on sales.
"Enabling customers to purchase without leaving the chat will have a significant impact on the sales cycle," notes Elizabeth Perkins, a professor at Roanoke College. "Customers get what they want faster, with less hassle, and honestly, with less chance of changing their mind."
How Will Payment Giants and Retailers Respond?
This evolution naturally raises questions about the future of established payment platforms. While some experts believe interfaces like Venmo or Apple Pay could be disrupted, others are more sanguine. J.D. Power's Paul McAdam sees it as another competitor entering the ring. "PayPal, Apple, and Google are pretty entrenched, so I don't think they are going anywhere," he states, predicting that larger players will adapt or acquire smaller upstarts.
Incumbents are not standing still. eBay views this not as a threat but as a sign of industry innovation. Blair Ethington, a VP at the company, says eBay is investing heavily in its own AI-driven checkout to provide hyper-personalized product recommendations. Similarly, a PayPal spokesperson pointed to its deal with Perplexity as proof that it is embracing the shift, aiming to provide seamless commerce experiences to its vast network.
This push is fueled by consumer demand. An IBM study found that only 14% of consumers are satisfied with their current e-commerce experience. "They're demanding seamless, hyper-personalized experiences across every touchpoint, and retailers must lean into AI to meet those expectations," says Dee Waddell of IBM.
The Real Disruption: Controlling the Customer Journey
While the focus often falls on payments, the most profound change may be happening earlier in the shopping process. Alex Graf, CEO of Spryker, argues that the game is shifting from who can close the sale to who controls the pre-sale.
"We're witnessing a structural shift in the e-commerce value chain, and ChatGPT is right at the center of it," Graf explains. "The new game is about who controls the pre-sale and gets the user's attention first."
As users increasingly start their shopping journey by asking an AI for ideas, traditional e-commerce platforms that rely on keeping users browsing—like Amazon or Etsy—face a significant threat. The value is no longer just in the transaction but in owning the discovery and decision-making process.
The Future of E-commerce and the Monetization of Attention
This new model disrupts a massive revenue stream: retail media. Advertising within e-commerce ecosystems is a $50 billion global market, and as Graf notes, "Amazon's most profitable business isn't Prime or AWS, it's retail media." Amazon, well aware of this, is investing heavily in its own generative AI features and backing AI leaders like Anthropic.
When a generative AI becomes the 'new homepage' for commerce, it can monetize user attention through paid placements and recommendations, much like Amazon currently does. "This re-routes billions in potential retail media revenue toward whoever owns that conversational layer," Graf says.
Fintech players will feel the ripple effects. As AI agents handle shopping from end-to-end, integrated or AI-native wallets could diminish the role of third-party payment tools. The ultimate winners in this new landscape, Graf concludes, will be those who can effectively monetize customer attention and intention, not just the final click to buy.
