Google Introduces Universal Commerce Protocol for AI Agent Shopping

Google has introduced the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP), an open-source standard designed to support AI-driven shopping experiences, announced on the Google Developers Blog. Developed by Google in collaboration with companies including Shopify, Etsy, Wayfair, Target, and Walmart, the protocol enables interoperability between AI agents, merchants, and payment providers.

UCP standardizes the full commerce process, from product discovery to checkout and post-purchase management, through a single integration layer. It is compatible with existing frameworks such as Agent2Agent (A2A), Model Context Protocol (MCP), and the Agent Payments Protocol (AP2). The system allows businesses to expose specific capabilities like checkout or discounts, which AI agents can dynamically discover and use.

The protocol supports multiple payment handlers, including Google Pay and Shopify’s Shop Pay, and is built with a modular payment architecture that separates payment instruments from processors. This design allows merchants to maintain control over their checkout experiences while ensuring secure, verifiable transactions backed by cryptographic proof of user consent.

Google’s initial implementation of UCP powers a new shopping experience within its AI Mode in Search and Gemini apps, enabling users to purchase directly from participating U.S. retailers using saved payment and shipping details. Businesses can integrate through Google Merchant Center to make their products eligible for these agentic shopping experiences.