Google has augmented the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP) with cart, catalogue, and identity linking features to enhance agentic commerce.

These updates introduce three new functionalities: a cart function that permits AI agents to add or save multiple items from different retailers in one go; a catalogue feature enabling real-time access to product details (including variants, stock levels, and pricing) directly through the retailer’s feed; and an identity linking mechanism that associates a shopper’s profile on UCP-integrated platforms with their existing loyalty accounts on retailers’ websites, maintaining perks like member discounts or free shipping.

Simplifying Retailer Onboarding

The official press release indicates that Google is introducing a simplified UCP onboarding process via its Merchant Center. This initiative aims to reduce the complexity for retailers of all sizes who wish to participate in agentic commerce experiences within Google Search’s AI Mode and the Gemini app.

Key commerce platform providers such as Commerce Inc., Salesforce, and Stripe are anticipated to adopt UCP across their ecosystems soon. More partners will follow suit, embedding UCP at a platform level to reach a wider range of merchants without requiring individual technical integration from each retailer.

Agentic Commerce Infrastructure

Designed as an open standard, the UCP facilitates interactions between AI agents and e-commerce environments on behalf of users. The identity linking feature is crucial in addressing the issue of fragmented loyalty programs across various channels. By providing a standardized way for agents to authenticate user identities across platforms, UCP seeks to ensure that agent-driven purchases are functionally equivalent to direct website transactions.

UCP users can choose which capabilities to implement based on their technical readiness or business needs, offering flexibility in adoption. The launch of streamlined onboarding via Merchant Center along with platform-level adoption by major commerce providers indicates a move towards wider standardization in agentic shopping experiences, an area that is gaining interest from both technology companies and retailers as AI-assisted purchasing becomes more widespread.