Google Brings UCP Direct Checkout to AI Mode in Canada

By Tom Whitfield

Google has expanded direct checkout powered by the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP) to Canadian shoppers across AI Mode in Google Search and the Gemini app. Sabrina Geremia, Vice President and Country Managing Director at Google Canada, announced the rollout on November 4, 2026.

The move lets Canadian shoppers buy directly from eligible retailers while researching products on Google's AI surfaces, without leaving the conversation.

Who is live at launch?

The initial Canadian launch includes four partners and merchant groups:

• lululemon
• Select Shopify merchants
• Shoppers Drug Mart
• Simons

Shoppers pay with Google Pay during checkout, using payment methods and shipping details saved in Google Wallet. Retailers remain the seller of record and can customize the integration to fit their business needs, according to Google. In the coming months, the company plans to add more checkout capabilities, such as applying loyalty rewards.

What arrives in Merchant Center next year?

For retailers outside the launch group, access runs through an upcoming Merchant Center update. Starting next year, Google says it will make simplified UCP integration available directly inside Merchant Center, letting retailers enable direct checkout and other capabilities for their product listings across AI Mode and the Gemini app from their own accounts.

Google launched UCP earlier this year alongside industry partners as an open standard for agentic commerce. The protocol creates a shared language so AI agents, consumer surfaces, businesses, and payment providers can work together across product discovery, purchasing, and post-purchase support without building custom connections for every platform.

Mani Fazeli, VP of Product at Shopify, said in the announcement:

"Canadians are already asking AI what to buy, and now Shopify merchants selling into Canada can be faithfully represented and bought from directly in AI Mode and the Gemini app, with zero extra work. UCP handles the complexity of agentic commerce underneath, so shoppers can buy what they find without leaving the conversation."

Fazeli says Shopify merchants need zero extra work. Google, for its part, specifies the rollout applies only to select Shopify merchants.

Why does this matter for retailers and paid media teams?

Direct checkout keeps more of the transaction inside Google's interfaces while keeping the merchant as seller of record. Product feed quality remains the foundation for visibility across Google's shopping and AI surfaces. Google's generative AI optimization guide states generative AI responses can include product listings where appropriate, and Merchant Center feeds help products appear in both AI responses and standard Search results.

For ecommerce teams and agencies managing Canadian accounts, four steps stand out:

• Audit Merchant Center product data. Accurate titles, descriptions, pricing, and inventory status drive visibility in Google Shopping and AI responses alike.
• Check Shopify eligibility in Canada. Initial checkout access is limited to select Shopify merchants, so test how products appear in AI Mode and the Gemini app.
• Coordinate with finance and operations. Review how Google Pay transactions and Google Wallet shipping details align with existing order, tax, and refund workflows before enabling direct checkout next year.
• Account for loyalty timing. Loyalty rewards support is planned for coming months, not launch, so factor that into holiday promotional planning.

Clean product feeds now will make adopting Merchant Center UCP settings easier once they ship.

What is still unknown?

Google has not shared a release date for the Merchant Center integration next year, nor eligibility criteria and onboarding steps for Canadian retailers outside the initial group. It also remains unclear how UCP direct checkout orders are reported or attributed in Merchant Center and Google Ads, and how the feature interacts with paid Shopping and Performance Max campaigns.

Until those attribution details land, retailers selling into Canada should treat feed hygiene and Shopify eligibility testing as the near-term work.