TechCrunch reported that Google said on Thursday its Universal Cart is now open to US users in Search and the Gemini app. Google first previewed the tool at its I/O event in May. Google said the cart gathers products from different retailers in one place. It sends alerts when prices fall or items return to stock. It also shows promo codes and uses Google Wallet to weigh card perks. Shoppers can pay with Google Pay or move items to the store's own cart. Google's examples include Nike, Sephora, Target, Ulta Beauty, Walmart, Wayfair and many Shopify shops.
Google said the cart draws on its Shopping Graph, which holds more than 60 billion product listings. Google said checkout is powered by the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP). TechCrunch says Google introduced UCP this year, as a shared standard for AI agents and retailers. Google said the store stays the seller of record and sends confirmations and support. The sources do not say what merchants must do to take part. They also give no date for other countries.
The cart and its checkout sit inside Google's products, while the store stays the seller. Retail teams may ask Google who owns the customer relationship, what data stores see, and how product feeds fill the cart.