At the NRF trade show in New York, Google unveiled its Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP), an open standard designed to streamline interactions between AI and merchants. Backed by a coalition of industry players spanning Shopify to Zalando, the protocol aims to shape the era of ‘agentic commerce’, in which virtual assistants steer the buying journey from search through to payment.

Google’s aim is to establish a common language for the sector and, in the process, preserve its strategic position in e-commerce. The UCP is designed to serve as a universal infrastructure, enabling AI-powered ‘agents’ (personal assistants) to carry out complex tasks- from product sourcing to after-sales service- without running up against platform-specific technical barriers.

This standardisation is designed to ensure compatibility with existing protocols (A2A, AP2…) and promises ‘total interoperability’- a pledge of instant compatibility intended to guarantee a ‘frictionless’ dialogue between AI and retailers.

To avoid the pitfalls of a closed solution, Google has opted for an industry alliance. The protocol has been co-developed with leading players such as Shopify, Etsy, Walmart and Wayfair. The coalition also includes major payment providers (Stripe, Visa, Adyen) and international retailers including Best Buy and Zalando, helping to secure initial adoption of the standard across the entire value chain.

Conversion-focused agents

For brands, this framework unlocks new levers for transactional performance. Its flagship feature is the ‘Business Agent,’ a virtual salesperson capable of conversing with consumers directly in search results, adopting the brand’s tone of voice to advise or answer questions. Google is also introducing ‘Direct Offers,’ enabling brands to surface exclusive, real-time discounts within Google’s interface to convert hesitant buyers.

For customers, it is now possible to complete an order directly from the Gemini app (Google’s consumer AI) or within Google’s interface itself, without being redirected to a third-party site. Payment relies on secure data from Google Wallet (and soon PayPal), while the retailer handles fulfilment. This level of fluidity now requires sellers to significantly enrich their data in Merchant Center to remain visible to these new algorithmic intermediaries.

This deployment comes three months after OpenAI, ChatGPT’s parent company, launched its Instant Check-Out feature. This enables Internet users to purchase products on third-party sites without ever leaving ChatGPT. At a time when consumers are increasingly turning to AI for their product searches, Google could find in the UCP a key to defending the position of ‘arbiter of commerce’ conferred on it by its mastery of SEO.