Going into holiday 2026, most major assistants can complete a purchase, and ChatGPT is the notable exception. Google, Microsoft Copilot, Meta Muse, Claude Duet, and Perplexity each offer some form of checkout, nearly all US only. ChatGPT sends buyers to the merchant's own checkout after OpenAI moved away from Instant Checkout on March 24, 2026.
Status by Assistant
| Assistant | Can it finish the purchase? | How | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google AI Mode, Gemini | Yes | Google Pay through UCP. Universal Cart launched October 15 and can also send items to the merchant's cart | US, with Canada and Australia announced for early 2027 |
| Microsoft Copilot | Yes | Copilot Checkout, launched January 8, 2026 | US |
| Meta Muse | Yes, after the shopper approves the total | Stripe Link, Shop Pay, PayPal | US. Amazon blocks it |
| Claude Duet | Yes, with approval | Stripe Link with a virtual card, and Shop Pay at online stores | US waitlist |
| Perplexity | Yes, last confirmed in 2025 | Instant Buy with PayPal. We found no 2026 update | US |
| Amazon agents | Yes, through its own agents | Alexa for Shopping, Buy for Me. Third-party agents are blocked | Amazon only |
| ChatGPT | No native checkout | Purchases finish on the merchant's checkout | Not applicable |
Three Things to Read From This
Approval is the norm. Muse, Duet, and Walmart's rules for outside agents all default to a person confirming the purchase. Fully unattended buying is the exception, even when an agent does the shopping.
Wallets are the shared layer. Shop Pay, Stripe Link, PayPal, and Google Pay appear again and again. Agents do not hold the buyer's real card. Being reachable through a wallet the agent already supports matters more than picking a winning protocol.
Retailers are choosing sides. Amazon blocks outside agents, and Walmart built a gateway for them. Whether an agent can buy from you is now partly your own decision.
What Merchants Should Check Before Peak
- Confirm which wallets and feeds you support, and test a purchase through at least one assistant.
- Check that bot protection does not block agents you want to serve.
- Make prices, stock, shipping, and returns machine-readable and current.
- Separate agent orders in reporting, or you will not know what they are worth.
For retailer-side readiness see which retailers are agent-payable. For why ChatGPT changed course see the Instant Checkout analysis.
Methodology
Assembled from Google on Universal Cart, Anthropic on Claude Duet, Walmart, and the Sanbi checkout tracker dated October 23, 2026. No vendor publishes success rates, and Presenc AI did not test these flows. Status as of October 31, 2026.
Following This With Presenc AI
Presenc AI is building tools to show how AI systems find, describe, and act on brands. Join the waitlist for access.