According to Thurrott.com, Microsoft has started testing a new Copilot Checkout feature in its AI chatbot for US users. The feature lets people shop for items and complete purchases directly within the chat conversation without leaving. It’s powered by the Agentic Commerce Protocol, an open standard developed by OpenAI and Stripe that also runs ChatGPT’s Instant Checkout. The rollout is happening first on Copilot.com in the US, with plans to integrate it into Copilot on Bing, MSN, and Microsoft Edge. Microsoft is already testing with retailers like Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie, Ashley Furniture, and Etsy sellers, while Shopify merchants get automatic access.
How the checkout works
So here’s the basic idea. You’re chatting with Copilot, maybe asking for gift ideas or looking for a specific piece of furniture. Instead of just getting a list of links to click, you can now see products and complete the entire purchase right there. The magic behind the curtain is that Agentic Commerce Protocol. Basically, it’s a set of rules that lets an AI act as an agent on your behalf to handle the transaction. The business still gets all the customer data and transaction details, but you never have to bounce over to their clunky checkout page. It’s a slick, frictionless experience—if it works well.
The bigger picture for brands
Now, this isn’t just about a faster checkout. Microsoft is also talking about “brand AI agents” that can be integrated directly into websites, like those built on Shopify. Think of these as dedicated, always-on shopping assistants living on a store’s page. They can help you find products, suggest add-ons, and yes, complete the purchase. It’s all part of a bigger push to make AI the new storefront. For merchants, the appeal is obvious: meet customers where they already are, which is increasingly inside an AI chat window. But here’s a question: when every brand has its own AI agent, does shopping just become a confusing chorus of bots trying to sell you stuff?
Why this matters and the hurdles
Look, the ambition is clear. Microsoft wants Copilot to be a central hub for everything, including commerce. If you can search, get answers, and buy things all in one place, that’s a powerful reason to stay in their ecosystem. And for OpenAI and Stripe, getting their protocol adopted by a giant like Microsoft is a huge win for establishing it as a standard. But let’s be real. The challenges are massive. Trust is the biggest one. Are people really ready to hand over their payment info to an AI agent in a chat? And then there’s the classic platform problem. Will enough merchants bother to set this up? Microsoft’s making it easy with PayPal and Stripe integration, but it’s still another channel to manage. I think the early test with recognizable brands is a smart move to build credibility. If it works smoothly for buying a shirt from Urban Outfitters, people might start to trust it for more. But it’s a big “if.”
