This launched as part of the Google Ads news from yesterday, and you can now see it in AI Mode for products from Etsy and Wayfair. Google wrote "In fact, UCP-powered checkout is rolling out now, letting US shoppers buy items from Etsy and Wayfair, right in AI Mode in Search and the Gemini app (with Shopify, Target, and Walmart coming soon)."
Google has launched the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP), an open-source standard designed to enhance commerce on AI-powered platforms. UCP creates a common language for agentic shopping, enabling seamless interactions among consumers, businesses, and payment providers. It integrates with existing retail infrastructure and the Agent Payments Protocol ( AP2) for secure payments, offering businesses flexible connection options via APIs and Agent-to-Agent ( A2A) communication.
Alphabet ( NASDAQ:GOOGL) has been the best of the Magnificent Seven for a reason. Whether we're talking about the strength of its latest Gemini launch or all the new ways where Google could put its AI to work, it's hard to be bearish about the firm, especially as investors look far beyond just search to the potential markets where Alphabet could disrupt.
To illustrate just how AI is starting to reshape the shopping experience, Google CEO Sundar Pichai and incoming Walmart U.S. CEO John Furner announced a partnership resulting in shoppers now able to shop Walmart and Sam's Club products directly on Gemini, Google AI chatbot. In addition, Google also introduced the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP), an AI commerce framework aimed at becoming an industry standard that allows AI agents to interact directly with retailers' commerce systems.
In a now viral post on X viewed nearly 400,000 times, Lindsay Owens on Sunday wrote, "Big/bad news for consumers. Google is out today with an announcement of how they plan to integrate shopping into their AI offerings including search and Gemini. The plan includes 'personalized upselling.' I.e. Analyzing your chat data and using it to overcharge you."
Not surprisingly, Google is also looking to make some cash from purchases made via its Gemini chatbot. The company just launched the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP), a new open standard intended to make it easier for companies to connect their inventory to Google's AI, allowing you to browse and purchase without leaving Gemini or AI Mode. UCP was built in collaboration with Shopify, Etsy, Wayfair, Target, and Walmart and is endorsed by 20 others, including American Express, Best Buy, Flipkart, Macy's, Mastercard, Stripe, The Home Depot, and Visa, Google says.
The advertising pilot, called "direct offers", will enable advertisers to present exclusive offers to potential shoppers who are preparing to buy items within AI Mode. Brands will be able to choose the relevant offers they want to feature within Google's "campaign settings" - Google's Gemini 3 AI model will then use contextual information from shoppers' conversations, and what they've clicked on, to determine when an offer is relevant to display.
