Google has launched the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP), an open standard that connects AI agents and retail systems across the full shopping journey. This includes product discovery, purchase, and post-purchase support.

According to Google, UCP is designed to act as a shared language between AI systems and merchant platforms. Instead of retailers building separate connections for every AI assistant or platform, the company says UCP allows any compatible agent to interact with a merchant through a single setup.

How UCP works across the shopping journey

Google says UCP creates a single system that spans search, payment, and support. In practical terms, an AI agent can surface a product, initiate a purchase, and handle follow-up actions without switching tools or integrations.

The company claims the protocol works across different industries and supports existing standards such as Agent2Agent, Agent Payments Protocol, and Model Context Protocol. This compatibility is meant to allow UCP to fit into current retail and payments infrastructure rather than replace it.

Google says the protocol was co-developed with companies including Shopify, Etsy, Wayfair, Target, and Walmart. It has also been supported by firms across payments, retail, and commerce technology, including Visa, Mastercard, Stripe, Adyen, and Zalando.

Checkout inside Google AI Mode and Gemini

Google says UCP will soon power a new checkout experience on eligible product listings in AI Mode in Search and the Gemini app. This allows shoppers to complete purchases while still researching products, rather than clicking through to external sites.

In a post on X, Shopify CEO Tobi Lutke said Shopify merchants will soon be able to sell inside Google AI Mode and the Gemini app using UCP. Merchants using Shopify will manage these transactions directly from Shopify Admin, even though the purchase happens inside a Google surface.

Google says shoppers can use Google Pay with payment methods and shipping details saved in Google Wallet. PayPal support is also expected to be added. These checkouts are embedded, but retailers retain control of fulfillment, customer service, and branding choices tied to the integration.

Google plans to expand the feature globally and add more capabilities. These features include discovering related products, applying loyalty rewards, and supporting custom shopping experiences built on the protocol.

Business Agent brings brand conversations into Search

Google has also launched Business Agent, a new AI tool that allows shoppers to chat directly with brands in Search. Google describes it as a virtual sales associate that can answer product questions using a brand’s voice.

Business Agent will be available starting tomorrow with retailers such as Lowe’s, Michael’s, Poshmark, and Reebok. Eligible U.S. retailers can activate and customize the agent through Merchant Center.

Google says merchants will later be able to train the agent using their own data, access customer insights, offer related products, and enable direct purchases within the chat experience, including agentic checkout powered by UCP.

The setup is similar to Microsoft’s newly launched Brand Agents, which guide shoppers through product selection and purchasing inside Copilot.

Competition in agentic commerce is growing

Agentic checkout is becoming table stakes for AI platforms that want to compete in commerce. Each platform is trying to own more of the shopping journey, from intent and research to payment and post-purchase support. OpenAI, Microsoft, and Perplexity are all building systems that keep users inside their own AI interfaces.

Microsoft recently rolled out Copilot Checkout, which allows purchases to happen directly inside chat. OpenAI has also pushed deeper into shopping. In September, the company launched Instant Checkout, enabling users to buy products directly through ChatGPT. OpenAI has backed this with its Agentic Commerce Protocol, developed with Stripe. Like Google’s UCP, the protocol is open source and designed to let AI agents connect with merchants and payment providers without custom integrations. This puts OpenAI in direct competition with Google at the infrastructure level.

Perplexity in November launched Instant Buy, a conversational shopping and checkout experience powered by PayPal. Users can browse products, ask follow-up questions, and complete purchases without leaving the AI interface or opening a retailer's website.

Despite this competition, Google is aiming to remain central to how products are discovered and purchased as AI agents take on more of the buying process. The company has been expanding shopping features inside AI Mode, including agentic checkout, price tracking, and product discovery tools.