What you need to know
- Google has introduced Universal Commerce Protocol to let AI agents handle product search, checkout, and payments automatically.
- UCP standardizes how AI agents interact with retailers and payment providers like Shopify, Walmart, and Visa.
- AI-powered checkout will roll out in Google Search AI Mode and the Gemini app, using Google Pay and Google Wallet data.
- Google is also launching Business Agents and Direct Offers to help brands sell directly inside AI-powered shopping flows.
Google has released a new standard that could soon make it easier for AI agents, including its own Gemini and others, on your Android phone to handle online shopping on your behalf.
Traditionally, online shopping has been a fairly messy process. You search for products, compare options, add items to your cart, and go through checkout. Google's new framework, called Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP), aims to let AI agents complete all of these steps for you with a single command.
While similar capabilities have existed before, UCP standardizes the process by creating a common language that AI agents can use across different online retailers and payment providers. Google says it has partnered with major players like Shopify, Etsy, Target, Walmart, American Express, Best Buy, Flipkart, Mastercard, Stripe, and Visa to help establish the protocol.
Initially, UCP-powered checkout will appear in AI Mode within Google Search and the Gemini app in the U.S. The AI agent will be able to use Google Pay and automatically pass along shipping details saved in Google Wallet to place orders for you.
Google also says support for PayPal will be added soon. The company adds that it plans to work with retailers worldwide to expand the feature, including capabilities like discovering related products and applying loyalty rewards automatically.
For businesses, Google is also introducing a new Business Agent, which acts as a virtual sales assistant capable of answering product questions on a company's behalf using the brand's voice.
There is also a Direct Offers feature that allows businesses to surface exclusive coupons for shoppers who are ready to buy, directly within AI Mode.
In simple terms, Google has laid the groundwork for AI-led shopping experiences. The company believes users will increasingly search for products directly in AI Mode, and UCP is designed to make completing a purchase as simple as a single tap, with AI agents handling the interaction with retailers end-to-end.
