Stripe and OpenAI’s new “Agentic Commerce Protocol” and “Instant Checkout” within ChatGPT mark a major step toward AI-driven payments and bookings, starting with U.S. Etsy stores and soon over a million Shopify merchants. Industry leaders see this as the first real move toward “agentic commerce,” where AI agents coordinate directly with airlines, hotels, and transport providers to create and confirm personalized itineraries. Companies like Visa, Mastercard, and Google are developing their own agentic tools, signaling a broader shift in how transactions happen in chat-based environments. While full-scale in-chat travel booking remains distant due to complexity and past consumer hesitation, experts believe advances in digital identity and payment security could drive adoption. AI-enabled, frictionless transactions promise higher conversion rates and more personalized travel experiences, positioning early adopters to reshape future travel distribution.
