TL;DR
Google introduced the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP), an open standard for AI agent-driven shopping announced at the NRF conference. The specification, developed with major retailers and platforms, aims to let AI agents handle discovery, checkout and post-purchase support across sellers; Google will use UCP for eligible AI-mode product listings with direct checkout options.
What happened
At the National Retail Federation conference, Google introduced the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP), an open standard intended to let AI agents carry out multiple parts of the customer buying journey without bespoke integrations for each step. The protocol was developed alongside partners including Shopify, Etsy, Wayfair, Target and Walmart and is designed to interoperate with other agentic specifications such as Agent Payments Protocol (A2P), Agent2Agent (A2A) and Model Context Protocol (MCP). Google says it will apply UCP to eligible product listings shown in AI mode in Search and the Gemini apps, enabling U.S. shoppers to complete purchases directly while researching items. Payments can be made with Google Pay and shipping details pulled from Google Wallet, with PayPal support coming soon. The company also announced new Merchant Center attributes to help sellers surface products in AI results, an AI-powered Business Agent for merchant sites, and a Gemini Enterprise suite aimed at customer experience for retailers and restaurants.
Why it matters
- Standardizing commerce interaction for AI agents could reduce friction for shoppers and merchants by avoiding many bespoke integrations.
- Direct checkout from AI search results may shorten the path from discovery to purchase, changing how consumers find and buy products.
- Allowing brands to offer discounts inside AI-mode recommendations opens a new moment for promotional targeting tied to conversational queries.
- Interoperability with existing agent protocols can let businesses pick extensions that match their technical and commercial needs.
Key facts
- Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP) announced by Google at the NRF conference.
- Development partners named by Google include Shopify, Etsy, Wayfair, Target and Walmart.
- UCP is designed to work alongside other agent-focused protocols: Agent Payments Protocol (A2P), Agent2Agent (A2A) and Model Context Protocol (MCP).
- Google will apply UCP to eligible product listings in AI mode within Search and the Gemini apps, enabling direct checkout for U.S.-based retailers.
- Shoppers can pay with Google Pay and use shipping information from Google Wallet; Google said PayPal support will arrive soon.
- Brands can offer targeted discounts directly within AI-mode product recommendations.
- Google added new Merchant Center data attributes to help sellers be featured in AI search surfaces.
- Merchants can embed an AI-powered Business Agent on their sites; Lowe’s, Michael’s, Poshmark and Reebok were cited as users.
- Google announced Gemini Enterprise for Customer Experience to support shopping and customer service for retailers and restaurants.
- Shopify also revealed an integration with Microsoft Copilot for in-conversation checkout, and other companies like PayPal and OpenAI are working on AI discoverability for sellers.
What to watch next
- The broader rollout schedule and geographic expansion of UCP beyond the initial U.S. product listings: not confirmed in the source.
- The exact timing and scope of PayPal support in Google’s AI-mode checkout flows: not confirmed in the source.
- Merchant adoption rates and which additional retailers and marketplaces sign on to UCP: not confirmed in the source.
Quick glossary
- Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP): An open standard announced by Google intended to let AI agents facilitate commerce tasks like discovery, checkout and post-purchase support across different sellers.
- AI agent: A software system that performs tasks autonomously or semi-autonomously on behalf of a user, such as searching for products and completing purchases.
- Google Pay: Google’s digital payments service used to complete transactions online and in supported apps.
- Google Wallet: A Google service that stores payment and shipping information, among other digital credentials, for use in transactions.
- Merchant Center: A platform where sellers provide product data and attributes so that their items can be surfaced in Google’s shopping and ad surfaces.
Reader FAQ
What is the Universal Commerce Protocol?
An open standard from Google intended to let AI agents handle multiple parts of the shopping experience across different merchants.
Which retailers helped develop UCP?
Google said the protocol was developed with partners including Shopify, Etsy, Wayfair, Target and Walmart.
Can users check out directly from AI search results now?
Google said it will use UCP for eligible product listings in AI mode in Search and Gemini apps so U.S. shoppers can complete purchases, using Google Pay and Wallet; PayPal support is said to be coming soon.
Will UCP replace other agent protocols?
Google described UCP as working with other agentic protocols (A2P, A2A, MCP) and said agents and businesses can choose protocol extensions; not described as a replacement.
Will the UCP rollout be global immediately?
not confirmed in the source
Google today announced a new open standard, called the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP) for AI agent-based shopping, at the National Retail Federation (NRF) conference. The standard, developed with companies like…
Sources
- Google announces a new protocol to facilitate commerce using AI agents
- Google launches Universal Commerce Protocol for agent- …
- Google bolsters bet on AI-powered commerce with new …
- PayPal Supports Trusted AI Checkout with Google
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