Chatbot Checkout Converts Far Worse

Walmart tested OpenAI’s Instant Checkout across about 200,000 products and found purchases completed inside ChatGPT converted at only one-third the rate of transactions that routed users to Walmart’s website. OpenAI is phasing Instant Checkout out in favor of merchant‑handled, app‑based checkouts; Walmart will embed its own chatbot (Sparky) to sync carts but complete payment on its platform. — If AI assistants systematically reduce checkout conversion, merchants will push back, reshaping platform economics, data flows, and regulatory debates about who controls commerce on AI platforms.