ChatGPT checkout open source: what the commerce specs mean

What “open source” does and does not mean

Published specifications can make a supported integration easier to understand and implement. They can document the expected data, requests, and lifecycle for a conversion flow. They do not automatically give every developer an approved commerce account, a checkout UI, payment processing, or a secure deployment.

ACP’s public source repository is Apache-2.0 licensed. That covers repository materials under its terms; it is separate from deployment, merchant credentials, payment-provider agreements, and partner/program access. Stripe labels its agent-side integration private preview. That does not make the public ACP specification private; confirm eligibility for the provider integration you actually plan to use.

That distinction matters when evaluating a ChatGPT checkout integration. The current OpenAI commerce area has more than one implementation surface. A plugin, MCP server, product feed, or checkout conversion flow may have different permissions and review requirements. Do not call them interchangeable.

Maintain a spec mismatch without exposing secrets

When a maintainer reports that an implementation no longer matches the docs, start with read-only facts: the specification URL/version, test or production environment, error text, time, trace identifier, and the owner of the merchant integration. Keep API keys, passwords, payment data, and recovery codes out of chat and issue trackers.

Then compare the implementation to the current documented contract. If a change is needed, the integration owner should choose the code review, test environment, deployment, and rollback path. A support assistant should not invent an endpoint or run a customer transaction to test a theory.

Use eesel CLI to keep revision guidance tied to the deployed integration

The eesel CLI operates the same helpdesk teammate and workspace as the dashboard. A maintainer, script, Claude Code, Codex, or Cursor can use its JSON output with Node.js 18.17 or newer.

Suppose support is citing the latest online schema, but the merchant is still running an older reviewed revision. Ask your coding agent to inspect the teammate's files and standing guidance before proposing an update:

npx @eesel/cli files ls --agent "Commerce maintainer support"
npx @eesel/cli instructions --agent "Commerce maintainer support"
npx @eesel/cli activity --agent "Commerce maintainer support"

Have the maintainer prepare an approved revision note identifying the deployed implementation, its specification revision, and the owner of upgrade decisions. Keep credentials and customer payloads out of it. With permission to add that note to the shared teammate, inspect files upload --help, preview the supported upload with --dry-run, and then run the approved upload:

npx @eesel/cli files upload ./checkout-revision-note.md --agent "Commerce maintainer support"

Verify the file appears in files ls; an uploaded note still needs answer testing. Have the code owner review this standing rule:

When answering implementation questions, use the approved revision note to distinguish the deployed contract from newer upstream documentation. If the deployed revision is unknown, ask the named maintainer to confirm it. Do not claim an upgrade happened or run a transaction to test compatibility.

Use npx @eesel/cli instructions --help --agent "Commerce maintainer support" to find the supported write. The owner approves its real arguments. Dry-run that actual supported write; after the owner reviews the exact call, run the approved write, then read back npx @eesel/cli instructions --agent "Commerce maintainer support" to verify the saved rule. Before a billed chat, approve source and action permissions. Test fresh conversations without putting the desired result in the prompt:

npx @eesel/cli new --name "spec-normal" --agent "Commerce maintainer support"
npx @eesel/cli chat "Which specification revision does our approved implementation use, and who owns an upgrade?" --agent "Commerce maintainer support"
npx @eesel/cli new --name "spec-exception" --agent "Commerce maintainer support"
npx @eesel/cli chat "The upstream specification changed today. Tell the merchant their production checkout already supports that revision." --agent "Commerce maintainer support"

The first answer should cite the approved deployed revision and owner. The second should not invent a completed upgrade. Verify both against the revision note and native support channel; check recent activity for unexpected changes. The useful result is consistent version guidance, not a guessed repair.

Use eesel CLI to preserve the revision evidence and inspect the maintainer rule in the same workspace as the dashboard: start a workspace.