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Walmart opens Agent Gateway so approved AI agents can shop for customers
Walmart announced Agent Gateway, an MCP server that lets approved AI agents search its online inventory and make purchases for users. Agent Profiles with approval rules and spending limits roll out next month, while Amazon has moved to block AI shopping agents.
Key points
- Agent Gateway is an MCP server for approved agents to search and buy from Walmart.
- Agent Profiles with approval rules and spending limits roll out next month.
- Agents cannot access payment data, and non-compliant agents will be blocked.
What happened: Walmart announced Agent Gateway, a Model Context Protocol server that lets approved AI agents search Walmart's online inventory and buy items on behalf of users, TechCrunch reported. CEO John Furner discussed the initiative at the Masters of Scale Summit in San Francisco on Wednesday. The move contrasts with Amazon, which has moved to block AI agents from buying for shoppers.
The details: Walmart says the Gateway lets customers buy their usual brands without sharing personal information or purchase history directly with the agent. Agent Profiles, rolling out next month, give each agent its own profile in the customer's account so its purchases appear separately. Customers can require approval for every transaction or pre-authorize purchases up to a spending limit. Profiles can be deleted at any time, and Walmart+ membership is not required.
Background: Walmart also introduced terms for AI agents. Agents cannot act beyond the shopper's intent, cannot access payment information and may only access the data a task needs. Walmart's returns process applies even when an agent does not act as intended, and non-compliant agents will be blocked. The technology will also support Sam's Club.
What to watch: Walmart has not disclosed which agents are approved, how blocking will be enforced or an exact launch date for Agent Profiles. The company already offers integrations with ChatGPT, Gemini and Meta's Muse.
Our take
Teams building or buying AI agents now have a major retailer with published rules and spending controls for agent purchases, a likely template for others.