Remain the Merchant of Record: How ChatGPT Instant Checkout Gives You Full Control Over Orders and Customers
A key concern for any e-commerce business owner when integrating with a third-party platform is the loss of control and the disintermediation of the customer relationship. The developers have built the underlying protocol to connect, not disintermediate. Sea to Sky Consultants wants to assure you: adopting this new protocol is about enhancing your existing business, not replacing it.
You Own the Order and the Customer
Enabling Instant Checkout for your Shopify store does not change your core business operations. You remain the merchant of record with complete authority over the post-purchase experience: You accept or decline the order on your existing Shopify system. You handle all shipping, tracking, and returns—the customer tracks their order on your site. You own the entire post-purchase journey and are the direct line for customer service. The payment process itself is secure and seamless (supporting credit cards, digital wallets, and other methods), with the payment information passed securely and directly from buyer to merchant. For Plus and Pro users, ChatGPT can even prefill details for an even faster buy.
A Critical Note on Marketing
While you own the customer relationship, the platform is explicit: Instant Checkout does not allow merchants to sign customers up for marketing emails from orders placed through ChatGPT. This makes the post-purchase journey even more critical. Every interaction you have with the customer—the confirmation email, the packaging, the product quality—must be used to drive a direct, long-term relationship.
The Takeaway
The power of ChatGPT Instant Checkout is to get the first sale faster. The challenge is to optimize your post-purchase experience to earn the second sale and the third. Sea to Sky Consultants can audit your entire customer journey to capitalize on these new acquisition opportunities.
