The way we build commerce experiences is about to change, again.
With the launch of the Agentic Commerce Protocol (ACP), OpenAI and Stripe introduced an open framework that enables AI agents to safely and directly interact with online stores , discovering products, managing carts, and completing checkouts, all through a unified, secure, and flexible standard.
ACP was designed to be:
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Powerful: connecting merchants with millions of AI users while maintaining direct customer relationships.
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Easy to adopt: built to integrate with existing commerce systems with minimal effort.
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Flexible: compatible with multiple payment processors, platforms, and business models.
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Secure: protecting payment data and giving merchants full control over order decisions and post-purchase experiences.
It’s also open source, created by OpenAI and Stripe under the Apache 2.0 license, meaning any business can implement it and start transacting with AI agents across platforms.
The first live example is Instant Checkout in ChatGPT, where users can browse and buy products directly from merchants, including Shopify and Etsy stores, without ever leaving the chat. Payments flow straight to the merchant, who maintains full ownership of the customer relationship.
Why It Matters for Shopify Agencies
This new standard transforms the agency opportunity.
ACP makes it possible to extend a Shopify store beyond the traditional website, into conversational commerce powered by AI.
For agencies, this means:
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AI-Ready Stores: helping merchants structure their data and product feeds to meet ACP specifications and become discoverable by AI agents.
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Agentic Experiences: designing branded assistants and custom GPTs that embody a brand’s identity across new conversational channels.
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Integration Strategy: connecting these agentic touchpoints to Shopify’s backend, CRM, and marketing systems for a seamless AI-driven ecosystem.
In other words, the next frontier of eCommerce isn’t just headless it’s agentic.
Agencies that embrace this shift early will be the ones guiding merchants into a future where buying happens not just on websites, but inside conversations.
At VN Studios, we’re helping agencies and brands get their stores ready for the Agentic Commerce Protocol and the next wave of AI-native experiences.
👉 Talk to our team to explore how your store or your clients can integrate ACP today.
