Overview
- Google has begun U.S. pilots that enable native checkout in Search’s AI Mode and the Gemini app for eligible retailers, initially using Google Pay, according to developer documentation.
- The open standard organizes product, pricing, cart and order data so AI agents can discover items, compare options, apply discounts and complete purchases while merchants remain the seller of record.
- Forrester reports that Google’s approach focuses on full shopping journeys and loyalty data, competing with OpenAI’s ACP, which emphasizes rapid “instant checkout.”
- Adoption depends on closing a trust gap and executing integrations, with surveys showing answer‑engine shopping usage largely flat at about 18–19% and only 8% of U.S. online adults trying agentic instant checkout as of October 2025.
- Retailers and analysts warn of risks including loss of UX control to platform-run interfaces, growing dependency on Google’s ecosystem, privacy and liability concerns, and likely regulatory scrutiny.