OpenAI has been moving fast, and one of the most talked-about updates on the horizon is this: ChatGPT may soon let users complete purchases directly inside the platform.
In other words, the entire customer journey, from recommendation to purchase, could happen within a single AI interface.
That matters if you’re in affiliate marketing.
Why it matters
Affiliate marketing relies on traffic being referred through a tracked link to a merchant’s website. Once there, tracking mechanisms like cookies or sub-IDs tie the click to a purchase so the affiliate can get credit.
But if ChatGPT becomes the place where both discovery and purchase happen, the usual flow breaks. You no longer control the landing page, the tracking pixel, or even the customer journey.
What could change
Here are a few likely impacts:
- Affiliate links may not work inside ChatGPT’s checkout flow
If the transaction happens inside OpenAI’s ecosystem, affiliate platforms may need new integrations to support tracking and attribution. - Attribution could become more complex
Who gets credit, the creator who influenced the decision, the platform that surfaced the result, or OpenAI? - Affiliate platforms and advertisers will need to adapt
We could see new tech emerge for tracking AI-influenced conversions. Transparency and integration will become more important. - New kinds of partnerships may appear
Publishers who feed structured product data into AI or brands that build native tools for ChatGPT could take on roles similar to affiliates, even if they aren’t using traditional tracking models.
What you can do now
This isn’t about fear. It’s about readiness.
Affiliate marketing has adjusted to mobile, social, influencer marketing, and data privacy updates. It will adjust again. But the brands that prepare early will be ahead of the curve.
If you rely on affiliate, referral, or partner channels, ask yourself:
- Are your products being referenced in AI environments today?
- Are your affiliates using tools like ChatGPT to build content or recommendations?
- Does your tech stack support attribution in non-traditional conversion paths?
The core value of partnerships will not disappear. But the way we track and reward performance might look very different in the near future.
It is time to start planning for that shift.