Google Expands AI-Powered Checkout to Canadian Retailers

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Google has begun rolling out direct checkout through AI Mode in Search and the Gemini app in Canada, allowing shoppers to purchase products from participating retailers while researching them through its AI services. The initial Canadian participants include lululemon, selected Shopify merchants, Shoppers Drug Mart and Simons. 

The new experience uses the Universal Commerce Protocol, or UCP, a standard designed to help shopping platforms, retailers and payment systems communicate with one another. With the feature, an eligible shopper can move from product research to purchase within Google’s AI experience. Payments are handled through Google Pay, using payment methods and shipping information already saved in Google Wallet. Participating retailers remain the sellers of record, meaning they retain responsibility for the underlying retail transaction.

Google says the rollout reflects changing consumer behaviour. According to research cited by the company, 59% of Canadian holiday shoppers plan to use an AI tool to help with their purchases this season. The figure represents stated intentions in Google’s research, rather than actual usage of the new checkout feature.

The technology is intended to reduce the number of steps between discovering a product and paying for it, as conventional online shopping often involves switching between search results, retailer websites and payment pages before an order is completed.

Google plans to make simplified UCP integration available through Merchant Center in 2027. This would allow more retailers to enable supported checkout features for their product listings without building separate integrations. The company also plans to introduce additional capabilities, including the application of loyalty rewards, over the coming months. Those features are not part of the initial announcement’s confirmed live functionality.

That said, Google has not disclosed transaction volumes, conversion rates or the number of Canadian shoppers who have used direct checkout. The launch nevertheless marks a significant expansion of its AI shopping tools, connecting product discovery and payment within the same consumer experience.