July 16 (Reuters) - OpenAI is planning to take a cut

from online product sales made through ChatGPT by integrating a

payment checkout system into the chatbot, the Financial Times

reported on Wednesday, citing multiple people familiar with the

proposals.

Merchants that fulfill orders through the payment system

will pay a commission to OpenAI, the report said.

The move would allow OpenAI to tap a new source of revenue,

taking advantage of the heavy user traffic on ChatGPT, in

addition to its traditional subscription model.

The checkout feature is still in development, but OpenAI and

partners such as e-commerce platform Shopify ( SHOP ) have been

presenting early versions of the system to brands and discussing

financial terms, the report said.

OpenAI and Shopify ( SHOP ) did not immediately respond to Reuters

requests for comment.

The two companies had announced a partnership earlier this

year, shortly after the AI startup launched an enhanced shopping

feature to better display products and reviews, the report

added.

The Sam Altman-led company currently displays suggested

products on ChatGPT through links that take users to online

retailers' websites.

OpenAI said earlier this year that its annualized revenue

run rate surged to $10 billion as of June, up from $5.5 billion

in December 2024. The company, however, lost around $5 billion

last year.