What is Agent Commerce?
Agent commerce represents a fundamental shift in how we shop online, enabling AI agents to autonomously discover, evaluate, and purchase products on behalf of users.
The Future of Shopping
Agent commerce is an open standard for programmatic commerce flows between buyers, AI agents, and businesses. Instead of manually browsing websites and clicking through checkout flows, users can simply tell an AI agent what they need, and the agent handles the entire purchasing process.
Think of it like having a personal shopping assistant that understands your preferences, finds the best options, compares prices, and completes transactions—all whilst keeping you informed and in control.
How Agent Commerce Works
User Intent
A user expresses what they want to purchase through natural conversation with an AI agent (e.g., "I need running shoes for marathon training").
Agent Discovery
The AI agent searches across agent-commerce-enabled businesses to find products that match the user's needs and preferences.
Product Reasoning
The agent evaluates options based on reviews, specifications, availability, and user preferences to recommend the best choices.
Secure Checkout
When the user approves, the agent initiates a secure checkout flow, managing payment credentials and completing the purchase.
Order Fulfilment
The business processes the order normally, whilst the agent keeps the user informed about shipping and delivery updates.
Key Benefits
For Users
- ✓Natural language shopping
- ✓Personalised recommendations
- ✓Time-saving automation
- ✓Price comparison across merchants
- ✓Transparent, secure transactions
For Businesses
- ✓Reach AI-powered platforms
- ✓Maintain merchant control
- ✓Use existing infrastructure
- ✓Expand customer base
- ✓Future-proof commerce systems
Agent Commerce Protocols
Two major protocols are emerging to standardise agent commerce:
Agentic Commerce Protocol
Open-source protocol supporting physical goods, digital products, and subscriptions with REST and MCP integration patterns.
Agent Payments Protocol
Secure, interoperable framework for AI-driven payments supporting agent-to-agent transactions across platforms.
Real-World Use Cases
Smart Shopping
AI agents help users find and purchase products by understanding preferences, comparing options, and completing checkouts.
Subscription Management
Agents can discover, subscribe to, and manage recurring services on behalf of users.
Event Booking
AI agents find events, check availability, and handle ticket purchases based on user interests and schedules.
Food Ordering
Agents can place food orders from restaurants, considering dietary preferences and past ordering history.
Ready to Join the Agent Commerce Revolution?
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