Google has introduced the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP), a new open standard that aims to make shopping with AI agents much smoother and more reliable. Announced today at the National Retail Federation (NRF) Big Show in New York, UCP creates a shared language so AI helpers can handle the entire shopping process—from discovering products to completing checkout and even post-purchase support—without needing separate connections for every store or platform.
Google worked closely with Shopify, Etsy, Wayfair, Target, and Walmart to build UCP. More than 20 major companies have already endorsed it, including Adyen, American Express, Best Buy, Flipkart, Macy’s Inc., Mastercard, Stripe, The Home Depot, Visa, and Zalando.
The wide support is meant to reduce the confusion that often happens in online shopping, where different systems don’t always work well together.
With UCP, AI agents (such as those inside Google’s AI Mode in Search or the Gemini app) can connect directly to retailers’ systems. Shoppers can simply talk to the AI to find items, add them to a cart, apply coupons, and pay—all in natural conversation.
Google plans to roll out a new checkout feature soon on eligible product listings in AI Mode and Gemini, starting in the United States. Retailers stay in full control and keep their customer data and relationships secure.
The protocol is neutral and open-source, so it works with existing standards like Agent2Agent (A2A), Agent Payments Protocol (AP2), and Model Context Protocol (MCP).
It is designed to be flexible: AI agents and businesses can negotiate what features to use, choose payment methods, and add new capabilities over time. This makes the whole shopping experience feel seamless and secure.
Google CEO Sundar Pichai explained the vision: “Agentic commerce is the next big step for retail. UCP helps create an open, collaborative future where AI truly serves shoppers and retailers alike.”
Retailers gain practical benefits, such as branded AI agents for customer service, direct offers shown in AI Mode (like exclusive discounts), and new product data fields in Merchant Centre to appear more often in AI-driven searches.
This could reduce cart abandonment and increase sales by reaching motivated shoppers exactly when they are ready to buy.
The launch comes as AI agents become more popular for shopping tasks. Google positions UCP as a foundation for this shift, competing with similar efforts from Microsoft (Copilot Checkout) and OpenAI (Instant Checkout).
With so many large companies on board, UCP has a strong chance of becoming the standard that simplifies online buying across platforms.
Developers and merchants can explore UCP now through Google’s developer resources and join the open-source project.
More integrations and features are expected as partners start building on it in the coming months. This could make AI-powered shopping feel more natural and trustworthy for millions of users.
