Walmart Launches Agent Gateway to Enable AI Shopping With Spending Controls

TL;DR

• Walmart introduced an Agent Gateway that lets approved AI agents search inventory and purchase products for customers.
• The technology will support shopping through Walmart and Sam’s Club.
• Agent Profiles, arriving next month, will separate agent purchases from customers’ direct transactions.

Walmart Opens Its Shopping Platform to Approved AI Agents

Walmart announced Wednesday that it is expanding support for AI-powered shopping with an Agent Gateway and new controls governing purchases made on customers’ behalf.

President and CEO John Furner outlined the initiative at the Masters of Scale Summit in San Francisco, describing preparations for broader adoption of shopping agents.

The technology will support both Walmart and Sam’s Club, building on existing integrations with services including ChatGPT, Gemini and Meta’s Muse.

The approach contrasts with Amazon and some travel and booking websites, which have restricted AI agents’ access amid growing use of automated shopping tools.

Agent Gateway Connects AI Assistants With Inventory and Checkout

Walmart’s Agent Gateway is an MCP server, using the Model Context Protocol to connect approved agents with the retailer’s systems.

Originally developed by Anthropic, MCP allows AI applications to interact with external tools and data sources. Walmart’s implementation enables agents to search its online inventory and make purchases for authorized users.

The retailer also says the gateway can help customers find familiar brands and regularly purchased items without sharing their personal information or purchase history directly with the agent.

That design aims to preserve personalization while limiting the information an outside assistant receives.

Agent Profiles Give Shoppers Approval and Spending Controls

Walmart plans to introduce Agent Profiles next month, creating a dedicated identity within a customer’s account for each shopping agent they authorize.

The profiles will distinguish purchases made by agents from transactions initiated directly by the shopper.

Customers can choose to approve every transaction or allow purchases within a spending limit. Walmart compared the arrangement to adding an authorized credit card user whose spending can be identified and capped.

A profile is created when a customer first uses an agent through the gateway. The shopper must authorize it, link it to their Walmart account and establish the applicable controls.

Profiles can be deleted at any time. A Walmart account is required, but Walmart+ membership is not.

Returns Policy Will Cover Agent Purchases

Walmart is also introducing terms defining how approved agents may operate and transact on its platform.

The company says its returns process will apply to purchases made through agents, including situations where an agent does not act as intended.

That provision could help address concerns about unwanted purchases. However, the announcement does not suggest that ordinary return conditions are waived or that every transaction qualifies for an automatic refund.

The policy gives customers an established process for handling eligible returns as they begin using automated shopping services.

Agents Face Restrictions on Data and Actions

Under Walmart’s terms, agents cannot act beyond the shopper’s intended instructions or access customers’ payment information.

They may access only the information necessary to complete the assigned task. Agents that fail to comply can be blocked from the retailer’s site.

The framework combines access for approved assistants with account-level permissions, transaction controls and enforceable operating rules.

Its success will depend on how reliably agents follow customer instructions and how effectively shoppers can review and manage their activity.