OpenAI's ChatGPT Wallet lets AI agents pay with Visa, Mastercard and Amex cards they never see, as Coinbase and Circle pitch crypto rails for agent payments

OpenAI has given its AI agents a way to pay. ChatGPT Wallet, launched on November 13 and built with American Express, Mastercard and Visa, lets agents complete purchases for users over the existing card networks, Cointelegraph and FinanceFeeds reported.

Before paying, the agent shows the merchant, the items, the total and the card it will use, and the user approves with a biometric check such as facial recognition or a fingerprint. The card network then issues a substitute card number for that checkout, so neither the merchant nor the agent sees the real card details. Purchases are charged to the user's existing card, and OpenAI does not act as the merchant of record, FinanceFeeds said.

The service is rolling out first to ChatGPT Pro subscribers in the US with eligible US-issued cards. OpenAI plans to let users preset spending limits later, so that some purchases can go through without approval each time, but that is not part of the launch.

The move puts OpenAI in a crowded field. Google introduced its Agent Payments Protocol in 2025, Coinbase introduced its x402 payment protocol the same year, and Circle introduced Agent Stack in May. OpenAI's wallet uses cards rather than stablecoins, and the company has not disclosed transaction volumes or any fees it may receive from payment partners.