OpenAI lets AI pay on user's behalf with digital wallet
ChatGPT Wallet stores card details and asks for the user's approval for each payment.
Listen to this article
There is no audio version yet. Request one and an AI voice will read the article aloud.
Read by an AI voice.
OpenAI has announced ChatGPT Wallet, a digital wallet that allows an AI assistant to handle purchases on users' behalf. The service is initially available only to Pro users in the United States with certain US payment cards.
According to OpenAI's documentation, users can ask the assistant to search for a product or book a hotel. At checkout, ChatGPT Wallet asks for approval. A payment token is then created, meaning that, according to OpenAI, the merchant does not receive the original card details.
Users must add card details through a secure form and may be asked to have the card verified by the bank. Biometric verification is required to approve a purchase, such as Face ID or Touch ID on a suitable device.
The service is not generally available. OpenAI identifies US Pro users as its target group and sets conditions relating to age, residential address and card type. The wallet is separate from the payment method for the ChatGPT subscription and from any available balance.
This shifts the role of an AI assistant from advising to acting. The assistant can prepare a purchase, but according to the current description, the user gives the final approval. That may reduce the risk of unwanted transactions, but it does not remove the need for users to check exactly what is being bought and at what price.
The announcement touches on a broader development in which AI systems perform tasks rather than merely provide text or recommendations. In payments, errors, misuse of account access and uncertainty about responsibility are important points of concern. OpenAI refers users to its own terms and safety policies.
There is still little independent information about how the service works in practice, the number of users and protection in the event of an erroneous or disputed purchase. It is also not known when the service will come to the Netherlands or other European countries. For now, this is therefore primarily a product announcement, not evidence that AI payments are already widely available.
Also show the region and a close-up
One story, several perspectives
What is established
- OpenAI describes a Wallet feature that allows users to have purchases carried out after approval.
- The service uses a payment token instead of the original card details with the merchant.
- According to OpenAI, the service is limited to US Pro users with certain cards.
Left
Arguments AI payments should be strictly regulated because errors and power imbalances between platforms and consumers can have immediate financial consequences.
Values Consumer protection, privacy and control over digital infrastructure.
Consequences Additional oversight may slow the rollout, but it may limit harm from unwanted or incomprehensible transactions.
Centre
Arguments A payment can be introduced responsibly if every transaction is clearly shown, the user gives explicit consent and there is a sound dispute-resolution procedure.
Values Proportionality, transparency and practical innovation.
Consequences A controlled introduction can offer convenience without removing human final control altogether.
Right
Arguments Users should be able to decide for themselves whether to trust a digital assistant; market competition and clear liability may produce better services than heavy-handed rules imposed in advance.
Values Freedom of choice, innovation and individual responsibility.
Consequences Faster development may create new payment options, but consumers may differ in their ability to assess risks.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The features and limitations described were checked directly against OpenAI's public help documentation. Independent confirmation and practical data are lacking, but this is explicitly stated as uncertainty and does not lead to an incorrect central claim.
- confirmed ChatGPT Wallet can make a payment on the user's behalf after approval. — OpenAI describes approval and the creation of a payment token. source
- confirmed The service is initially available to US Pro users with certain cards. — The availability conditions are set out in the official documentation. source
- uncertain OpenAI has published independent real-world data on user numbers. — The documentation consulted contains no such data; the text does not make this claim. source
Editor's note
The features and availability conditions come from OpenAI's own documentation. An independent second source on the launch, security and operation is lacking; the status is therefore insufficient_sources.Sources
- Making purchases with ChatGPT Wallet — OpenAI
More on this in Dutch media
- AD — „openai chatgpt”
- RTL Nieuws — „openai chatgpt”
- FD — „openai chatgpt”