Google Unveils Universal Cart for AI Shopping at I/O 2026

Google presented new AI shopping tools at its I/O conference on May 19, 2026. The centerpiece is a Universal Cart that collects products from multiple retailers and Google surfaces including Search and Gemini. Users can add items while browsing or chatting and then complete purchases through Google.

The cart tracks prices, sends stock alerts, and flags potential compatibility issues such as mismatched computer components.

The Universal Cart works with retailers including Sephora, Target, Wayfair, and Walmart. Users can also link loyalty programs and payment methods through Google Pay. In January the company announced the Universal Commerce Protocol, an open standard developed with Walmart, Shopify, and Target. Amazon, Meta, Microsoft, Salesforce, and Stripe joined the governing committee in April.

Google also described plans for AI agents that can make purchases on a user's behalf when preset criteria are met. The system uses the Agent Payments Protocol to create approval records. Shoppers can transfer cart contents to a retailer's site if they prefer to finish checkout outside Google.

Vidhya Srinivasan, vice president and general manager of ads and commerce at Google, said the company positions itself as a matchmaker rather than a merchant of record. Srinivasan stated that Google does not take a commission on sales completed through the cart.