Google Introduces Universal Commerce Protocol, Paving the Way for AI-Driven Shopping

Google has announced a major step toward the future of automated commerce with the launch of the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP) — a new open standard designed to allow AI agents to handle the entire shopping journey on behalf of consumers.

The announcement signals a shift in how digital commerce is structured: instead of users manually navigating stores, comparing products, and completing checkouts, AI agents can now discover, recommend, purchase, and even manage post-sale interactions across platforms.

From Assisted Shopping to Agent-Led Commerce

Over the past year, Google has been expanding its vision of agent-assisted interactions. After introducing tools for AI-guided purchasing and launching the Agent Payments Protocol (AP2) to securely handle agent-initiated transactions, the company is now formalizing the ecosystem with UCP.

The Universal Commerce Protocol establishes a shared language that allows AI agents, retailers, marketplaces, and payment providers to communicate without relying on proprietary, one-off integrations. Instead of building custom connections for every AI system, businesses can integrate once and become compatible with multiple agents and platforms.

UCP is designed to work across industries and is compatible with existing standards such as Agent2Agent (A2A), Agent Payments Protocol (AP2), and Model Context Protocol (MCP).

Broad Industry Adoption from Day One

Google developed UCP in collaboration with major retail and commerce players, including Shopify, Walmart, Target, Etsy, and Wayfair.

The protocol is also supported by a wider ecosystem of payment networks and retailers such as Visa, Mastercard, Stripe, PayPal, Best Buy, Zalando, and The Home Depot — an indication that the industry sees agent-driven commerce as inevitable rather than experimental.

Native Checkout Inside Google’s AI Platforms

As an initial application of UCP, Google will soon allow users to complete purchases directly within AI experiences, including AI Mode in Search and the Gemini app.

Shoppers will be able to finalize transactions using Google Pay, with saved payment and shipping details pulled from Google Wallet. Importantly, retailers remain the official sellers, preserving control over fulfillment, branding, and customer relationships.

By reducing the number of steps between discovery and checkout, Google aims to lower cart abandonment rates — a long-standing issue in e-commerce.

The feature will launch first in the United States, with global expansion and additional capabilities planned in the coming months.

Business Agent: AI as a Digital Sales Representative

Alongside UCP, Google is introducing Business Agent, a conversational AI interface that allows consumers to chat directly with brands inside Search.

The Business Agent acts as a virtual sales associate, capable of:

• Answering detailed product questions

• Recommending related or complementary items

• Providing personalized offers

• Enabling agent-led checkout

Retailers can configure and customize the agent through Google Merchant Center, training it with their own data and brand voice. Early adopters include Lowe’s, Reebok, Michael’s, and Poshmark.

Preparing for Conversational Commerce

To support AI-driven discovery, Google is expanding Merchant Center with new structured data attributes designed for conversational contexts rather than traditional keyword search.

These include:

• Product FAQs

• Compatible accessories

• Substitutes and alternatives

• Rich contextual metadata for AI reasoning

This change reflects a broader shift: products will increasingly be discovered through dialogue with AI, not search result pages.

Direct Offers in AI-Powered Search

Google Ads is also launching Direct Offers, a new pilot feature that lets retailers surface exclusive deals — such as limited discounts or promotions — directly inside AI Mode responses.

Rather than relying solely on price comparisons, Direct Offers allow AI to present promotions at moments of high purchase intent. Over time, Google plans to expand this beyond discounts to include bundles, free shipping, and value-based incentives.

Why This Matters

The introduction of the Universal Commerce Protocol represents more than a new technical standard — it marks a structural change in how online commerce operates.

AI agents are evolving from passive assistants into active participants in economic transactions. Open protocols like UCP reduce fragmentation, lower integration costs, and signal a future where discovery, decision-making, and checkout happen seamlessly within AI systems.

For retailers, developers, and platforms, the message is clear: commerce is becoming agent-native, and adapting early may be the difference between visibility and irrelevance in the next phase of the web.