# Selling through ChatGPT, Gemini and Google AI Mode: what AI shopping agents mean for online stores in Oman

> AI assistants are starting to sell, not just recommend. OpenAI's Agentic Commerce Protocol powers Instant Checkout in ChatGPT, and Google's Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP) lets shoppers buy directly in AI Mode in Google Search and in Gemini. In both, the store stays the merchant of record: it receives the order, charges the payment through its own payment provider and handles refunds. As of October 2026, neither checkout is open to stores selling in Oman. OpenAI's standard product feed targets the United States and onboarding is for approved partners, and Google's UCP integration hub is rolling out in the United States, with Australia and Canada next, for products sold within the US. Omani stores can still be found and recommended by AI assistants today: allow OpenAI's search crawler, list products in Google Merchant Center, which supports Oman and lists Gemini among its free-listing surfaces, add Product structured data, and keep prices in OMR, stock, delivery and return policies accurate in Arabic and English. That same groundwork, plus a store with clean order and payment APIs, is what agentic checkout will need when it reaches the Gulf. This guide from OGB Labs, an ecommerce development company in Muscat, explains both protocols from OpenAI's and Google's documentation.

- Canonical: https://www.ogblabs.com/guides/ai-shopping-agents-chatgpt-gemini-oman
- Arabic version: https://www.ogblabs.com/ar/guides/ai-shopping-agents-chatgpt-gemini-oman
- Author: OGB Labs (https://www.ogblabs.com)
- Published: 2026-10-30
- Updated: 2026-10-30

## What is changing: from AI answers to AI checkout

Until recently an AI assistant could suggest products and link to the store, and the sale happened on the store's website. Agentic commerce moves the checkout into the chat. The shopper asks for a product, the assistant shows options from merchants' catalogues, and the shopper confirms the purchase without leaving ChatGPT, AI Mode or Gemini. Behind the screen, the assistant calls the store's systems to create the order, calculate delivery and tax, and pass a secure payment token.

Two open standards now define how this works. OpenAI publishes the [Agentic Commerce Protocol](https://developers.openai.com/commerce/guides/key-concepts) for ChatGPT, and Google publishes the [Universal Commerce Protocol](https://developers.google.com/merchant/ucp) for AI Mode in Google Search and Gemini. Both are built so that the merchant, not the AI company, owns the sale and the customer.

## How ChatGPT Instant Checkout works

OpenAI says a merchant needs three flows to support Instant Checkout in ChatGPT ([OpenAI](https://developers.openai.com/commerce/guides/key-concepts)):

- A product feed: a regularly refreshed CSV or JSON file with identifiers, descriptions, prices, stock, images and fulfilment options, so ChatGPT can show your products accurately. OpenAI recommends uploading a full snapshot at least once a day ([OpenAI](https://developers.openai.com/commerce/guides/get-started)).
- Checkout endpoints: ChatGPT collects the buyer's details and calls your Agentic Checkout API to create and update the checkout session. Your system validates the order, works out delivery options and tax, and accepts or declines it.
- Delegated payment: OpenAI passes a one-time payment token, limited to a maximum amount and an expiry, to your payment service provider, which charges it like any other card payment. Stripe's Shared Payment Token was the first compatible implementation, with more providers to follow.

## Who owns the order in ChatGPT

The store does. OpenAI's FAQ says the merchant selling the goods and taking the payment is the merchant of record, and customers see the merchant's name on their card statement. The merchant also handles refunds and chargebacks, and reports their status back to ChatGPT through order webhooks ([OpenAI](https://developers.openai.com/commerce/guides/production)).

OpenAI also limits what can be sold. Its prohibited products policy excludes, among others, adult content, alcohol, nicotine, gambling, weapons, prescription-only medicines and unlicensed financial products ([OpenAI](https://developers.openai.com/commerce/guides/get-started)). Pharmacies and some specialist retailers in Oman should check this list before planning for ChatGPT sales.

## How Google's Universal Commerce Protocol works

Google describes UCP as an open standard that enables agentic actions in AI Mode in Google Search and Gemini, starting with direct buying ([Google for Developers](https://developers.google.com/merchant/ucp)). It builds on Merchant Center: Google says your product feeds, brand assets, return policies and business contact information there must be complete and up to date ([UCP FAQ](https://developers.google.com/merchant/ucp/faq)).

- The store is the merchant of record and keeps its customer relationships and data. Your own terms and conditions cover the purchase, and the shopper accepts them during checkout.
- Payments: you do not need Google Pay on your own website, but your payment provider must be able to process Google's payment tokens.
- Stock and delivery: the store checks stock in real time and returns an out-of-stock error when needed, and it validates the shipping address, returning an error for addresses outside its delivery zones.
- Ranking: Google says choosing its native checkout integration does not change how your offers rank in product listings. UCP-integrated offers simply show a direct purchase option.
- Products show the Buy now button only when the product data carries the `native_commerce` checkout-eligibility attribute ([Google for Developers](https://developers.google.com/merchant/ucp/guides/merchant-center/overview)).

## Can an online store in Oman use these today?

Not yet. On OpenAI's side, onboarding product feeds is currently available to approved partners, who apply through chatgpt.com/merchants ([OpenAI](https://developers.openai.com/commerce/guides/get-started)). Its feed reference says the standard upload currently targets the US, that the shared format represents the US, Canada and Mexico, and that other markets need OpenAI to confirm the countries and currencies for your integration ([OpenAI](https://developers.openai.com/commerce/specs/file-upload/products)).

On Google's side, the UCP integration hub in Merchant Center is gradually rolling out in the United States, with Australia and Canada to follow, and applies only to products sold within the US. Checkout is available to select merchants through an early access programme ([Google for Developers](https://developers.google.com/merchant/ucp/guides/merchant-center/overview)). We checked both sets of documentation in October 2026 and will update this guide when Gulf countries are added.

**Agentic checkout in ChatGPT and Google: status for Omani stores**

|  | ChatGPT (Agentic Commerce Protocol) | AI Mode and Gemini (UCP) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Where checkout appears | Instant Checkout inside ChatGPT | AI Mode in Google Search and Gemini |
| Product data | Product feed uploaded to OpenAI, daily snapshot | Google Merchant Center feeds |
| Merchant of record | The store | The store |
| Payment | Your provider processes a delegated payment token | Your provider processes Google's payment token |
| Markets | US by default; Canada and Mexico in the shared format | US first; Australia and Canada next |
| Access | Approved partners | Early access for select merchants |
| Open to Omani stores selling in OMR | Not yet | Not yet |

## What Omani stores can do now: get recommended by AI

Checkout inside the chat is the last step. Being found and recommended comes first, and that already works for stores in Oman. AI assistants that browse the web send shoppers to product pages they can read and trust.

- Allow OpenAI's search crawler. OpenAI says sites that opt out of OAI-SearchBot will not be shown in ChatGPT search answers, and recommends allowing it in robots.txt ([OpenAI](https://developers.openai.com/api/docs/bots)). Check that your firewall or CDN does not block it either.
- List your catalogue in Google Merchant Center. Oman is a supported country, and Google lists Gemini among the places where free listings can appear ([Merchant Center Help](https://support.google.com/merchants/answer/9199328)). Our guide to [Google Merchant Center in Oman](https://www.ogblabs.com/guides/google-merchant-center-free-listings-oman) walks through the setup.
- Add Product structured data with price, currency (OMR) and availability in the page's initial HTML, as Google's [merchant listing documentation](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/structured-data/merchant-listing) describes.
- Write product titles and descriptions that answer real questions: size, material, compatibility, warranty and what is in the box, in Arabic and English.
- Publish clear delivery and return policies, with delivery times for Muscat and other governorates, and keep them consistent between the website, the feed and Merchant Center.
- Keep stock and prices accurate. An assistant that recommends an out-of-stock product or a wrong price loses the shopper's trust, and Google can disapprove mismatched products.

## Prepare your store for agentic checkout

When these programmes open in the Gulf, the stores that join first will be the ones whose systems already behave like the protocols expect. The work is mostly in the back end:

1. Clean product data: a stable ID for each product and a separate ID for each size or colour, with variant-specific price, stock, images and URL, as OpenAI's [feed best practices](https://developers.openai.com/commerce/guides/best-practices) describe.
2. A product feed you can generate automatically every day from your store or ERP, rather than a spreadsheet edited by hand.
3. Order APIs: create a checkout, update the address and delivery option, recalculate totals including VAT, and confirm or decline the order. Custom and headless stores can expose these directly; on hosted platforms, ask the platform about its plans.
4. A payment provider that supports tokenised payments. Ask your gateway whether it supports OpenAI's Delegated Payment Spec or Google Pay tokens, and on what timeline.
5. Real-time stock checks and delivery zones defined by governorate, so the store can reject an address it cannot deliver to with a clear error.
6. Terms, privacy policy, returns and refund handling that work without a human in the loop, because the customer accepts your terms inside the AI interface.
7. Tracking: add a parameter such as `utm_medium=feed` to feed URLs, as OpenAI suggests, and watch referrals from chatgpt.com and Gemini in GA4.

## Should Omani retailers worry about losing the customer?

Both OpenAI and Google say the merchant keeps the customer data and the relationship, and the order is yours to fulfil. What changes is where the shopper makes the decision. If the comparison happens inside an AI chat, the products with complete, consistent data and good reviews are the ones that get chosen. For stores that sell in Oman today, that means the same work that wins on Google: accurate catalogues, honest policies and product pages that answer questions. Read our guides to [getting cited by ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google AI](https://www.ogblabs.com/guides/get-cited-by-chatgpt-perplexity-google-ai), [Google AI Overviews and AI Mode in Oman](https://www.ogblabs.com/guides/google-ai-overviews-ai-mode-oman) and [measuring AI search traffic in GA4 and Search Console](https://www.ogblabs.com/guides/measure-ai-search-traffic-ga4-search-console).

## How OGB Labs helps

We build ecommerce stores for Omani brands on Shopify, headless and fully custom stacks, with Arabic and English product data, Merchant Center feeds, Product structured data and order and payment APIs designed so that new sales channels, including AI assistants, can connect to them. If your catalogue is not showing in Google or ChatGPT, we audit the feed, crawl access and product pages and fix what is missing. See [ecommerce development in Oman](https://www.ogblabs.com/locations/oman/ecommerce-development), read [how to start an online store in Oman](https://www.ogblabs.com/guides/online-store-oman), run our [free website check](https://www.ogblabs.com/website-check), or message us on WhatsApp at +968 7111 0727.

## Frequently asked questions

### Can customers buy my products inside ChatGPT?

Only if your store is an approved partner in OpenAI's Agentic Commerce programme. OpenAI's standard product feed currently targets the US, so stores selling in Oman cannot use ChatGPT Instant Checkout yet. ChatGPT can still recommend your products and link to your store.

### What is Google's Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP)?

An open standard from Google that lets shoppers buy directly in AI Mode in Google Search and in Gemini. The store stays the merchant of record, product data comes from Merchant Center, and the store's own payment provider processes the payment.

### Is UCP available in Oman?

Not yet. Google says the UCP integration hub is rolling out in the United States, with Australia and Canada next, and applies to products sold within the US. Omani stores can still appear in Google's free listings, which Google says can show in Gemini.

### Who handles refunds when a customer buys through an AI assistant?

The store. In both OpenAI's and Google's protocols the merchant is the merchant of record, so it charges the payment, ships the order and handles refunds and chargebacks.

### Does using Google's checkout improve my ranking?

No. Google says its native UCP integration does not influence how offers rank in product listings; integrated offers only gain a direct purchase option.

### How do I get my products recommended by ChatGPT now?

Allow OAI-SearchBot in robots.txt and your firewall, make product pages readable with clear prices in OMR, stock, delivery and returns, and add Product structured data. ChatGPT search links to pages it can read and trust.

### Which products can't be sold through ChatGPT?

OpenAI's prohibited products policy excludes adult content, age-restricted products such as alcohol, nicotine and gambling, weapons, prescription-only medicines, unlicensed financial products and legally restricted goods, among others.

### What should my store have ready for agentic checkout?

Clean product and variant data, an automated daily feed, order APIs that create and update checkouts and recalculate totals, a payment provider that supports tokenised payments, real-time stock checks and clear terms and return policies.

## Related

- [Ecommerce](https://www.ogblabs.com/services/ecommerce): Stores built to sell: storefronts that feel like your brand, a checkout people finish and inventory that stays in sync.
- [Digital Marketing](https://www.ogblabs.com/services/digital-marketing): SEO, Google Ads, social media and AI search, run as one plan and reported against enquiries and sales.
- [AI specialists in Oman: AI agents, automation and custom AI for business](https://www.ogblabs.com/locations/oman/ai-company): OGB Labs is an AI company in Muscat, Oman: AI agents, automation, knowledge assistants and custom AI, designed around how your business actually works.
- [SEO company in Oman](https://www.ogblabs.com/locations/oman/seo): SEO company in Muscat, Oman: technical SEO, content written for how Omani buyers search, and local rankings in Google Search and Maps, reported monthly.
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- [Google Business Profile in Oman: set it up, verify it and turn Maps searches into leads](https://www.ogblabs.com/guides/google-business-profile-oman): How a business in Oman sets up and verifies a Google Business Profile, avoids suspension, collects reviews and turns Google Maps searches into calls, WhatsApp chats and leads.
- [Google reviews for businesses in Oman: how to get more, reply well, and deal with fake or unfair reviews](https://www.ogblabs.com/guides/google-reviews-oman): How Omani businesses get more genuine Google reviews, reply in Arabic and English, report fake or extortion reviews, and avoid the rules that get profiles restricted.
- [Using AI to write website content in Oman: what Google allows, what gets penalised, and how to still rank](https://www.ogblabs.com/guides/ai-generated-content-seo-oman): Can Omani businesses use ChatGPT, Gemini or Claude to write website pages, blog posts and Arabic translations without hurting their Google rankings? What Google's guidance says, what counts as scaled content abuse, and a safe workflow.

## Contact

- WhatsApp: +968 7111 0727 (https://wa.me/96871110727)
- Contact form: https://www.ogblabs.com/contact
- Email: hello@ogblabs.com
- Hours: Sunday – Thursday, 9:00 – 18:00 Gulf Standard Time (GMT+4)
- Locations: Muscat, Dubai, Riyadh (Oman, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia)