Google opens UCP direct checkout to Canadian shoppers in AI Mode and Gemini
Google has extended direct checkout built on the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP) to shoppers in Canada, letting them buy from eligible retailers without leaving AI Mode in Google Search or the Gemini app. Sabrina Geremia, Vice President and Country Managing Director at Google Canada, announced the rollout on 4 November 2026.
The initial Canadian launch covers four partners and merchant groups, including select Shopify merchants. Shoppers pay with Google Pay using the payment methods and shipping details stored in Google Wallet, and retailers stay the seller of record. Google says it will add capabilities such as loyalty rewards in the coming months.
Retailers outside that group will get access through a Merchant Center update. From next year, Google plans to put simplified UCP integration inside Merchant Center so merchants can switch on direct checkout for their listings across AI Mode and Gemini from their own accounts. Google has not given a release date, eligibility criteria or onboarding steps, and has not explained how UCP orders are attributed in Merchant Center or Google Ads, or how checkout interacts with Shopping and Performance Max campaigns.
For ecommerce teams and agencies running Canadian accounts, product feed quality remains the lever available now: clean Merchant Center feeds support visibility in AI responses and standard results, and make the UCP settings easier to adopt once they arrive.
Reported by Search Engine Journal ↗
Topics: AI Mode, Google Search, Gemini