Google opens Canadian AI checkout to select retailers
Small online sellers face a limited rollout now, with broader Merchant Center access planned for 2027.
Google began rolling out Canadian direct checkout through AI Mode in Search and the Gemini app on November 4, with limited retailer coverage including lululemon, Shoppers Drug Mart, Simons and eligible Shopify merchants.
Google describes the underlying Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP) as an open standard connecting agents, businesses and payment providers across discovery, purchasing and post-purchase support. Its research found that 59% of Canadian holiday shoppers plan to use an AI tool this season.
Shoppers pay through Google Pay, using payment methods and shipping information saved in Google Wallet. Google says retailers remain the seller of record; CBC reports they’re legally responsible for fulfilling orders.
“It’s still humans making the purchase. No one else,” Eric Morris, head of retail at Google Canada, told CBC. Morris also said UCP access will be free for retailers.
Canadian checkout supports only one item at a time, according to The Globe and Mail, republished by The Canada Nation. Multi-product carts require the retailer’s website, including purchases needing multiple items to reach free-shipping thresholds. Google already supports multi-item purchases in the U.S.; Canadian expansion and price-alert tools are planned, the report says.
Google says simplified UCP integration will begin arriving in Merchant Center in 2027, letting retailers enable checkout for listings. Loyalty rewards are planned in the coming months. Search Engine Journal notes that Google hasn’t disclosed a specific release date, broader eligibility criteria or onboarding steps.
For small retailers, eligibility and listing accuracy are the immediate checks, not an assumption that checkout will bring customers. Search Engine Journal recommends checking Shopify eligibility; auditing Merchant Center titles, descriptions, prices and inventory status; and reviewing order, tax and refund workflows against Google Pay transactions and Google Wallet shipping details before enabling checkout.
Acquisition measurement remains unsettled. Search Engine Journal says Merchant Center and Google Ads order attribution is unclear, as is interaction with paid Shopping and Performance Max campaigns.
See also: shopping-agent purchase testing. Checkout availability alone doesn’t establish visibility, reliable conversion or incremental sales.