New Delhi: Google has introduced its latest set of AI-driven shopping capabilities that aim to let users complete purchases without leaving Google Search. At the centre of this push is the Universal Commerce Protocol, an open framework built to handle the whole shopping journey, from product discovery and checkout to post-purchase support. Google only enables users to use AI to assist with discovery and comparisons while routing users to retailers for payment. Google has stated that the system has been developed along with partners such as Shopify, Wayfair, Target and Walmart, and it will soon enable direct checkout from product listings in Search’s AI Mode and within the Gemini applications. It has been launched in the US for now, with no announcement about its India launch.
Google also stated that Universal Commerce Protocol is a common commerce layer, which allows the AI agents, merchants, and payment services to work together. The protocol is designed to be industry-agnostic and interoperable, while also supporting existing standards, including Agent2Agent, Agent Payments Protocol, and Model Context Protocol. Initially, UCP will underpin the latest checkout experience in Search AI Mode and the Gemini app. US users will be able to purchase items directly from Google product listings using Google Pay, with payment options and delivery information pulled from Google Wallet. Google has also confirmed that PayPal integration will be added in a future update.
Google has stated that it plans to roll out UCP to more countries and onboard additional retailers. The company is also exploring added capabilities such as loyalty programmes, more intelligent product recommendations, and more personalised shopping flows. Google’s latest checkout flow in Search AI Mode and the Gemini application put it directly against AI-first shopping experiences from Microsoft, OpenAI, and Perplexity. Microsoft’s Copilot already supports complete in-chat purchasing in the US, enabling users to complete transactions without leaving the conversation. The feature is live with select partner retailers in the US and is backed by PayPal, Stripe, and Shopify.
