Google's Universal Cart goes live in the US across Search and Gemini
Google has launched Universal Cart in the United States, letting shoppers build a single basket of items from multiple retailers inside Google Search, AI Mode and the Gemini app. The cart is built on Google Wallet, so it can suggest which saved card to use based on that card's perks, and it surfaces promo codes at checkout.
Shoppers can either complete the purchase through Google Pay or transfer the cart to the retailer's own site, where it arrives pre-filled. Google names Nike, Sephora, Target, Ulta Beauty, Walmart, Wayfair and many Shopify merchants as participating retailers. The merchant remains the seller of record under both routes.
The cart also sends price-drop and back-in-stock alerts for saved items. Google first announced the feature at I/O in May, when it said US Search and Gemini users would have access by the end of summer, with YouTube and Gmail to follow later. The launch post gives no timeline for those two services.
For merchants, the transfer option runs through the Cart API in Google's Universal Commerce Protocol. This first release is one-way: it creates a cart on the merchant's system via a CreateCart call, and does not support updating, deleting or syncing cart contents between the two systems. Native checkout on Google is a separate API and is not required for cart transfer.
Eligible merchants pick either option in the UCP integration hub in Merchant Center, which is rolling out gradually in the US with Australia and Canada to follow next year. Reporting in Merchant Center and the Merchant API tracks the funnel from Buy button clicks through purchases and cancellations, including cart transfers and average cart value at transfer. The API reporting is in alpha, and no metric is listed for products saved to a cart.
Reported by Search Engine Journal ↗
Topics: Google Search, AI Mode, Gemini