E-commerce platform Minty has launched an AI-powered shopping companion that delivers deals and cashback offers in ChatGPT.
The move highlights how commerce features are starting to appear inside generative AI platforms. The company is addressing how products are surfaced in large language models (LLMs) by adding a transactional layer to the interface.
According to Minty, 70% of U.S. shoppers use or explore AI to find better deals. The app uses what the company calls proprietary shopping intelligence to deliver deals and cashback offers during relevant points in a conversation.
Adding the app to ChatGPT is a one-time setup for Minty members. Users navigate to the apps directory in ChatGPT, search for Minty, and click “Connect.”
Instead of navigating to a product page to access rewards, consumers can stay within the ChatGPT conversation, where relevant cashback offers and rewards appear in real time. The goal is to create a more direct path from research to purchase.
“Shopping is evolving from a search-driven experience into a conversation-driven one,” said Jon West, co-founder and CEO of Minty. “At the same time, we’re giving brands and agencies a direct, performance-driven way to participate in those moments at scale — creating value for everyone in the ecosystem.”
LLM Commerce Takes Shape
Brand visibility inside LLMs has become a growing challenge for digital marketers.
Consumers are not the only ones who benefit. For brands, retail media, and their digital and affiliate agency partners, Minty aims to give brands access to high-intent buyers with targeted, dynamic cashback offers that appear naturally within ChatGPT interactions. Rather than experimenting with content strategies and hoping for visibility, brands gain visibility inside conversations as shoppers make buying decisions.
“The rise of AI-driven discovery is reshaping how consumers evaluate products and how brands show up in those moments,” noted Collin Colburn, VP of commerce and retail media at the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB).
He added that new approaches to integrating offers, incentives, and commerce signals directly into conversational environments reflect a broader shift in how the industry approaches influence and conversion.
Faster, More Contextual Discovery
Consumers typically research for two reasons: They want recommendations on the best products or guidance on getting the most value for their money, noted Minty’s CMO, Rodney Mason. Minty also handles price comparisons within ChatGPT.
“If ChatGPT recommends Nike, but Adidas is a close second and has a cashback offer, savvy shoppers want to know that. With Minty installed, they get both pieces of information presented factually,” he told the E-Commerce Times.
A recent Minty study found:
- 91% of adult shoppers use digital savings or rewards
- 85% use online or email promotions, savings apps, and browser extensions
- 82% are likely to consider a pop-up bonus offer from a browser extension
“Today’s consumers are more value-driven than ever, and this gives them the full picture to make the best decision in the exact moments they’re making purchase decisions,” Mason added.
Data Use and Privacy Controls
Minty users opt in to share their shopping signals, knowing that the company will use them to present the most personalized cashback offers. The same is true when users integrate Minty into ChatGPT.
It reads shopping-related context from conversations, including product categories, brand mentions, and purchase intent. It does not access or store anything outside of that, Mason said.
“Currently, any data used is aggregated and de-identified. We don’t sell personal data, and users can request, review, or delete their data at any time,” he clarified.
Paid Search Model for LLMs?
Mason suggested that Minty is not creating a sponsored results tier in which brands can pay to ensure their rewards appear when users search for specific keywords or browse certain categories. Brands are increasingly looking for ways to appear in LLM-driven results.
“When a brand shows up inside ChatGPT via a Minty offer, it’s to improve the shopping experience already taking place inside the platform and save consumers money,” he said.
A brand only wins when shoppers find the greatest value based on their criteria. Minty operates on a performance-based model that is fundamentally different from paid search, Mason added, noting that paid search charges for clicks and impressions regardless of whether consumers make a purchase.
Conversion Tracking Supports Brand ROI
Minty says it tracks conversions even if a user sees a deal in the chat interface but completes the purchase in a browser or app, allowing brands to measure ROI while ensuring consumers receive credit.
Users are authenticated across devices and browsers and earn rewards through Minty during the transaction, enabling cross-device attribution when purchases are completed outside the chat.
“Minty uses affiliate tracking that can follow the purchase from start to finish. It’s also possible a shopper begins with Minty on ChatGPT, Google Chrome, Safari, or in Minty’s iOS or Google Apps, and jumps to another app at a later time,” Mason said.
When that occurs, the journeys are not connected. However, when a transaction journey occurs with Minty, the merchant or retailer confirms the purchase and the shopper receives their cashback.
“Through this process, Minty can help its partner brands identify and build relationships with high-intent customers they would never have been able to reach on their own,” he said.
Why ChatGPT Came First
Mason said ChatGPT is currently the most widely used chatbot. It’s where many users begin using AI tools. With its established GPT Store, it has the best infrastructure to enrich its AI experiences with plugins like Minty’s Cashback & Coupons GPT.
Minty listens to its shoppers’ feedback and will expand to other providers based on demand. However, Minty’s integration uses the Model Context Protocol that is portable across AI providers.
Mason explained that an essential part of the process is that brands control when their offers appear. Minty partners with over 10,000 brands to syndicate their official, verified offers.
“The brands see cashback as a way to demonstrate value to their customers, not dilute it. Every offer that is available on Minty is there because a brand chose to put it there as part of its strategy for reaching new or existing customers,” he said.
AI Won’t Replace Brand Sites Yet
Mason argues that AI-assisted shopping is changing how consumers research and evaluate products. Based on the company’s recent research, 77% of shoppers plan to use AI in their shopping process. Half said it will play a major role.
“But even as AI handles more of the research, comparison, and deal-finding, most shoppers still want to engage with brands directly before they buy. The transaction moving into the chat interface is a real possibility on the horizon, but the bigger and more immediate threat is a shopper arriving at a brand’s site who already has a strong point of view, a tight budget, and alternatives ready,” he suggested.
Minty is preparing for that shift, Mason said. AI is narrowing information gaps that once gave retailers more control over the buying process. Shoppers can more easily compare quality, pricing, and alternatives rather than relying on pre-packaged options.
