Brighten your creative journey with AI‑driven commerce, but discover how to stay visible and compliant in the new era of agentic search and affiliate marketing.
In October 2025, three announcements signalled a major shift for creators and entrepreneurs: PayPal is embedding its wallet into ChatGPT via the Agentic Commerce Protocol (ACP), Google expanded its conversational AI Mode worldwide, and Amazon tightened the rules for its affiliate program. This article breaks down what these changes mean, why they matter and how to prepare.
Key Takeaways
- Shopping inside ChatGPT is coming. In 2026 PayPal will launch Instant Checkout within ChatGPT, allowing users to pay with PayPal balances, bank accounts or cards. Merchants using PayPal will have their product catalogs discoverable in ChatGPT without additional integrationssiliconrepublic.com. Small businesses can reach millions of ChatGPT userssiliconrepublic.com.
- Google AI Mode goes global. AI Mode is now available in 35+ new languages and more than 40 additional countries, bringing coverage to over 200 territoriesblog.google. It delivers multimodal, conversational answers and users ask queries nearly three times longer than standard searchesblog.google.
- Affiliate rules are stricter. Amazon’s October 15 updates prohibit unapproved logo use, adjust commission calculations and expand product exclusionsaffiliate-program.amazon.com. Content containing modified brand imagery risks removallogie.ai, and previously eligible products may suddenly earn no commissionlogie.ai.
- Optimise for AI‑powered discovery. Structured data, rich metadata and local SEO become critical for appearing in AI Mode resultstheegg.com. With agentic commerce, product information must be machine‑readable to be recommendedventurebeat.com.
- Diversify revenue streams. As AI assistants handle more of the purchase journey, invest in email lists, direct sales and alternative affiliate programs to reduce reliance on a single platformforbes.com.
ChatGPT Goes Shopping: PayPal’s Agentic Commerce Protocol
PayPal’s partnership with OpenAI makes it the first digital wallet embedded in ChatGPT. Starting in 2026, millions of users will be able to check out instantly using PayPal inside the chat interfacefinancemagnates.com. The key innovation is the Agentic Commerce Protocol (ACP)—an open standard that allows AI agents to communicate with payment providers without custom coding.
What’s New
- Instant checkout: ChatGPT will offer a PayPal‑powered checkout button, enabling purchases with bank accounts, balances or cards, while preserving buyer and seller protectionsfinancemagnates.com.
- Mass merchant onboarding: PayPal will run an ACP server that ingests product catalogs across categories (fashion, beauty, home improvement, electronics) and makes them discoverable in ChatGPTsiliconrepublic.com. Merchants won’t need individual integrations—PayPal handles routing, payment validation and orchestrationsiliconrepublic.com.
- Tools for sellers: Services like Agent Ready and Shop Sync will help businesses accept payments in multiple AI environments and provide structured product data to AI platformsventurebeat.com.
Why It Matters for Creators and Entrepreneurs
- New discovery channel: Products can show up directly in ChatGPT answers, reaching audiences who might never visit your website.
- Low barrier to entry: If you already accept PayPal, your catalog can be integrated automaticallysiliconrepublic.com. Small businesses gain exposure alongside major brands.
- Data quality is king: To be recommended by AI agents, ensure your product data (title, description, images and pricing) is accurate and well‑structuredventurebeat.com.
- Prepare for agentic competition: With AI comparing items from multiple sellers, price and reviews will heavily influence recommendationsforbes.com. Build trust through stellar customer service and transparent policies.
AI Search Goes Global: Google’s AI Mode Expansion
Google’s AI Mode is a conversational search experience that uses Gemini models to understand complex queries, images, voice and context. In October 2025, Google expanded AI Mode to more than 35 additional languages and 40 new countriesblog.google, meaning it now covers over 200 countries and territories.
AI Mode vs. AI Overviews
- More brands featured: AI Mode surfaces brands in about 90 % of answers—far higher than the 43 % in AI Overviewstheegg.com.
- Stable citations: It cites 5–7 sources per answer and relies on a broader “query fan‑out” approachtheegg.com. Studies show AI Overviews reduce click‑through rates by 34.5 % and often cite sources outside the top 10 resultsdigitalmarketinginstitute.com.
- Agentic capabilities: AI Mode can initiate actions like bookings or purchases directly within searchtheegg.com.
Implications for Content Creators
- Rise of zero‑click searches: Many queries will be answered within AI Mode, so your site might receive fewer clicks even if you are referenced. Track impressions and citations within AI results—not just traffictheegg.com.
- Structured data matters: Implement rich schemas (FAQ, Product, How‑to) and ensure images and videos are high qualitytheegg.com. AI Mode relies on structured data to surface actionable answers.
- Local and multilingual SEO: Update your Google Business Profile and translate key pages into target languages to capture local querieshikeseo.co.
- Focus on authority and trust: Produce comprehensive, well‑cited content to build topical authoritythatware.co. AI Mode favours sources that demonstrate expertise.
Affiliate Marketing Gets a Reality Check: Amazon’s Updated Policies
On 15 October 2025, Amazon updated its Associates Program Operating Agreement and Program Policies, affecting how creators use the platformaffiliate-program.amazon.com.
What Changed
- Trademark & copyright restrictions: You can no longer use third‑party seller logos or brand imagery without authorizationaffiliate-program.amazon.com. Even modified logos or wrong colors could trigger content removallogie.ai.
- Commission recalculations: Amazon now rounds commissions to the nearest currency unit and reserves the right to exclude productsaffiliate-program.amazon.com. As a result, earnings may vary unpredictablylogie.ai.
- Expanded product exclusions: Some categories are quietly removed from eligibility, meaning you may earn nothing on high‑traffic itemslogie.ai.
Action Steps for Affiliates
- Audit your content: Remove unapproved logos and verify that all product links comply with the new policieslogie.ai.
- Monitor commissions weekly: Sudden drops can indicate that a product is now ineligible or that a video has been flaggedlogie.ai.
- Diversify revenue: Explore direct partnerships with brands and other affiliate networks, especially those that support PayPal agentic commerce.
- Join creator communities: Staying connected helps you spot policy changes quicklylogie.ai.
Connecting the Dots: Thriving in the Agentic Era
The convergence of AI search and agentic commerce means the entire customer journey—from discovery to purchase—can happen within AI interfaces. To thrive:
- Optimize for both discovery and checkout: Ensure your products are visible in Google AI Mode through structured content and in ChatGPT via PayPal’s ACP integrationsiliconrepublic.com.
- Focus on data quality and trust: Rich metadata, accurate pricing and positive reviews will determine whether AI agents recommend your productsventurebeat.com.
- Build direct relationships: Use newsletters, communities and membership programs to maintain direct contact with your audience, mitigating the risk of platform dependenciesforbes.com.
- Experiment with your own AI experiences: Consider developing a custom chatbot or voice skill to interact with fans and shoppers, keeping your brand front and centerfortune.com.
Conclusion
AI is not just a buzzword—it’s reshaping how we search, learn and shop. PayPal’s ChatGPT integration heralds the arrival of agentic commerce, Google’s AI Mode expands conversational search globally, and Amazon’s new policies remind us that platforms can change the rules overnight. By staying informed, structuring your data, and diversifying your revenue streams, you can harness these shifts to elevate your creative business. The future belongs to those who adapt—so start experimenting today.
