Google opens native AI checkout to eligible Shopify merchants

Google is notifying eligible Shopify merchants that their products can now be purchased directly through AI Mode in Google Search and the Gemini app, expanding its push into agentic commerce.

Why it matters. The traditional ecommerce journey: discover a product, click through to a website, then check out, is starting to change. Eligible shoppers can instead discover and purchase products without leaving Google’s AI experience, potentially removing steps between product discovery and conversion. Google says UCP-powered checkout is currently available to select merchants.

How it works. The checkout experience is powered by the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP), an open standard developed by Google with com.anies including Shopify to let AI agents interact with merchants and payment systems throughout the shopping journey.

For eligible Shopify stores, products available through Merchant Center can surface for direct checkout in Google AI Mode and Gemini. Shopify says purchasing through these experiences is activated by default for eligible stores, although the rollout means it may not yet be available to every merchant or shopper.

Why we care. Merchants could find native checkout enabled without having intentionally activated it themselves. That makes it worth checking Shopify’s Sales channels > Agentic settings, particularly for brands that want to control where checkout happens, preserve their existing onsite experience, or avoid potential measurement gaps.

The details. Shopify merchants must be based in the U.S. and sell to U.S. customers, have a valid Merchant Center account, and make eligible products available through Merchant Center, among other requirements. Products can be synced through Shopify’s Google & YouTube channel or supplied to Merchant Center through another feed method.

Why we care. Merchants could find native checkout enabled without having intentionally activated it themselves. That makes it worth checking Shopify’s Sales channels > Agentic settings, particularly for brands that want to control where checkout happens, preserve their existing onsite experience, or avoid potential measurement gaps.

No extra setup. The notification shared with merchants says eligible products are automatically included when a Shopify store has been matched with its Merchant Center account. Shopify similarly says eligible stores can have direct checkout enabled automatically.

In an exchange about the update, Head of Ecommerce Insights, Mike Ryan asked Google Ads expert Menachem Ani whether anything had to be done to enable it or whether it was an automatic opt-in. Ani replied: “No action on our end.”

Yes, but. Merchants can opt out. Shopify allows sellers to disable direct checkout under Sales channels > Agentic, after which products can still be discovered through Google AI Mode and Gemini but shoppers will be redirected to the merchant’s website to complete their purchase.

Between the lines. Merchants retain the underlying customer and order relationship, but the checkout experience isn’t identical to their website. Shopify says some features — including certain checkout blocks, product bundles, custom pixels and Google Analytics client-side tracking — aren’t supported in the direct checkout experience.

The big picture. Google says UCP already supports direct checkout for hundreds of thousands of brands and retailers, while Shopify has been expanding its Agentic Storefronts across AI shopping channels. Google’s latest Merchant Center updates are also adding capabilities such as cart transfer and enhanced checkout testing.

Bottom line. For ecommerce marketers, Google’s AI surfaces are moving from product discovery toward transaction completion. That makes Merchant Center product data increasingly important not just for getting products seen in AI experiences, but for enabling shoppers to actually buy them there.

First spotted. This update was spotted by JXT Founder Menahcem Ani who shared getting an alert about this update on X.