Walmart has launched an Agent Gateway to let AI agents make purchases, a move that stands in direct contrast to Amazon’s recent decision to block such tools from its checkout system.
The retailer announced the feature on Wednesday. This approach separates it from Amazon and many travel booking sites, which have chosen to lock out AI agents entirely. Walmart has previously partnered with Meta’s Muse and now offers integrations with ChatGPT, Gemini, and other popular applications.
Preparing for agentic shopping
John Furner, Walmart President and CEO, stated at the Masters of Scale Summit in San Francisco that the new technology prepares for a future where AI agents become mainstream. The system supports agentic shopping across both Walmart and Sam’s Club.
The launch begins with the Agent Gateway, a new model context protocol (MCP) server. Anthropic created the protocol, which allows AI agents to connect to external data sources and tools. Here, it enables an agent to search Walmart’s online inventory and buy items on behalf of the user.
The retailer claims the gateway lets customers buy their usual brands without sharing personal details or purchase history directly with the agent.
New technology also distinguishes agent purchases from those made directly by a shopper. It gives users control over what their agents can and cannot do.
Agent Profiles and spending limits
Agent Profiles will roll out next month. Customers can authorise each AI agent with a dedicated profile in their account. This allows them to view an agent’s purchases separately from their own.
Users control how transactions get approved. They can require approval for every transaction or set a spending limit for authorisation.
Walmart compares these controls to adding an authorised user on a credit card. Their transactions are identified and their spending is capped.
Agent Profiles are created the first time a user employs a specific agent through the Walmart Agent Gateway. You must authorise and link the profile to your account, then set your controls or limits. You can delete a profile at any time. Support is available for anyone with a Walmart account; a Walmart+ membership is not required.
Terms for AI agents
The retailer is introducing specific terms for AI agents. These specify how they must operate and what rights they have to transact on the site.
Walmart states its returns process applies, including when an agent does not act as intended. This customer-friendly condition could reassure shoppers worried about being early testers of agentic commerce. They will not fear being stuck with unwanted products due to a misbehaving agent.
The terms also state agents cannot take actions beyond what the shopper intends. They cannot access customer payment information and can only access data needed for the specific task. Agents that do not comply with these terms will be blocked from the site.
What it means
Customers gain a layer of oversight over automated spending without needing a premium membership. If an agent buys something incorrectly, the standard return policy still applies.
