The tech company also unveiled Brand Agents, AI-based shopping assistants that act as the voice of the brand within online stores.
Microsoft y PayPal have announced their collaboration to launch Copilot Checkout, a new solution that allows users to discover, compare, and purchase products without leaving the conversational experience of Copilot.
El target es double: for the user searches reduce friction in the buying process and shorten the distance between intent and conversion; for the online store, it seeks to simplify its adaptation to the world of artificial intelligence and reduce abandoned shopping cartsAll within Microsoft's AI assistant.
As mike edmondsVice President of Agentic Commerce, PayPal, “This alliance will help our vast ecosystem of tens of millions of merchants grow efficiently, while offering consumers a pleasant and intuitive shopping experience when paying with PayPal.”
The announcement comes alongside another significant development for eCommerce: the launch of Brand Agents, AI-based buying assistants who act as the voice of the brand within its own website. Two moves that point in the same direction: turning conversations into sales right at the moment the user is already making a decision.
Copilot Checkout makes shopping seamless and distraction-free
Copilot Checkout allows you to complete a purchase directly from Copilot, Without redirects, without opening multiple tabs, and without losing the user along the way. The buyer can ask questions, compare options, resolve doubts, and pay in the same conversational flow, leveraging PayPal's payment infrastructure.
From a trade perspective, The brand remains the official seller and maintains control of the transactionCustomer data and the business relationship are preserved. This allows businesses to leverage the new channel without relinquishing customer ownership or brand identity.
PayPal is responsible for boosting merchant inventory, branded payments, guest checkout, and card or PayPal Wallet payments, starting with Copilot.com and with plans to expand to other channels where Copilot is already present.
The initial results show a direct impact on conversionAccording to Microsoft data, trips that include Copilot generated a 53% more purchases within 30 minutes of the interaction compared to those that do not include it. Furthermore, when there is purchase intent, Trips with Copilot are 194% more likely to result in a purchase.
Shopify stores are automatically integrated
The partnership between Microsoft and PayPal combines AI-powered discovery with a payments infrastructure widely familiar to consumers and merchants. Copilot is no longer just a tool for finding information; it's integrated throughout the entire purchase journey, from inspiration to final payment.
Copilot Checkout is now available available in the United States, with partner activation in PayPal, Shopify, and Stripe and more retailers will be joining throughout the month.
In the case of Shopify, businesses will be able to automatically sell through Copilot Checkout without needing to develop additional integrations or install new applications.
Looking future, The company is already working with Mastercard and Visa to include solutions such as Mastercard Agent Pay and Visa Intelligent Commerce.
Brand Agents bring the in-store experience to eCommerce
Alongside the launch of Copilot Checkout, Microsoft presents Brand Agents, AI-powered shopping assistants that integrate into online stores and guide the user naturally, like a good salesperson would in a physical store.
Brand Agents rely on Microsoft Clarity, Microsoft's free analytics toolt that allows you to analyze user behavior through heat maps, session recordings, and performance metrics.
This provides eCommerce businesses with an additional layer of information to understand how AI-assisted conversations work, compare them with organic traffic, and adjust their business strategy with real data.
How to get started with Copilot Checkout
Copilot Checkout is initially being rolled out in the United States within Copilot.com and leverages existing integrations with major eCommerce and payment platforms. If you have an eCommerce business in the United States, here's what you need to know to use the feature:
- Shopify stores are automatically enrolled in Copilot Checkout after an opt-out period. You don't need to install any apps or develop any additional integrations. Checkout management is handled directly from your Shopify dashboard.
- If you work with PayPal or Stripe You can request to join Copilot CheckoutMicrosoft is betting on open standards to facilitate rapid and scalable adoption.
- It's not mandatory, but having a product feed in Microsoft Merchant Center It helps items appear organically within Copilot, expanding visibility from the start of the purchase process.
How to get started with Brand Agents
Brand Agents is now available for businesses selling with Shopify And, as we explained, it relies on Microsoft Clarity for performance analysis. Therefore, if you want to start using this option, the first step is Install Microsoft Clarity in your eCommerce, a free tool compatible with Shopify.
Once you have Clarity active, you can join the waiting list Access Brand Agents directly from the platform. If you already use Clarity, the process is immediate.
The final step is to configure your brand's voice and catalog, as Brand Agents are trained with this information to deliver consistent recommendations and conversations aligned with the store experience.
Towards integrated and conversational buying
With Copilot Checkout and Brand Agents, Microsoft and PayPal are reinforcing a trend that was already gaining traction. Shopping is becoming conversational, contextual, and increasingly integrated with AI assistants. For merchants, the opportunity lies in appearing precisely when the user moves from interest to action.
Now the question is which brands will appear in the search results And which stores will be prepared to sell within these new experiences, taking advantage of this channel that is already part of consumers' daily lives.
Original article by Noelia Fraguela | Marketing4ecommerce | January 9, 2026
