Google’s Universal Cart shopping tool launches in the US

Google on Thursday said Universal Cart is now available to U.S. users, according to TechCrunch's report by Lauren Forristal. The tool collects and monitors products found across Google Search and in the Gemini app. Google first previewed it at Google I/O in May. A shopper finds a product, saves it to the cart, and moves on. On a later visit, the items and the shopping progress are still there, so the same products do not have to be hunted down again.

This piece covers the U.S. rollout, the multi-retailer hub, price-drop and restock alerts, credit card perks, promo codes, and checkout on the Universal Commerce Protocol. It is for shoppers in Google Search or the Gemini app who want one place to track potential purchases, and for readers setting that cart next to agentic commerce features from Amazon, OpenAI, and other rivals.

Google’s Universal Cart shopping tool: the announcement

Google said on Thursday that Universal Cart is available to users in the United States. The company first previewed the tool at Google I/O in May, and Thursday’s news takes that preview to U.S. users. Universal Cart collects products found across search and in the Gemini app, then lets a shopper monitor them after leaving the page. Google’s stated aim is to make online shopping easier to manage: save a liked item to the cart, move on, and find that same item still saved on the next visit.

The cart can collect items from multiple retailers and turn them into a central hub for browsing and for keeping track of potential purchases. Saved items and shopping progress both remain, which is how Google says shoppers avoid hunting down the same products or starting over. The Thursday availability covers U.S. users on Google Search and in the Gemini app. Google is already deeply invested in AI-powered shopping, and Universal Cart is its latest effort to make that experience more convenient.

What actually changed with Google’s Universal Cart shopping tool

A shopper now gets a cart that spans Google Search and the Gemini app and can hold products from more than one retailer. They find an item, save it, and leave. On return, the items and the shopping progress are still recorded, so the session does not have to start over. Google says the cart can also help shoppers stay on top of deals and availability. The tool can send a notification when a saved product’s price drops, and it can send one when an out-of-stock item becomes available again.

During the shopping process, Google says Universal Cart can offer more tailored help. The tool can take credit card perks into account when helping users choose how to pay, and it can surface relevant promo codes. Checkout is tied to Google’s Universal Commerce Protocol, or UCP, an open standard the company introduced earlier this year. UCP is designed to help AI agents and retailers work together across different parts of the shopping journey, including checkout. Google attached that checkout path to Universal Cart.

Who should care about Google’s Universal Cart shopping tool

U.S. users who find products in Google Search or the Gemini app are the people Google addressed on Thursday. The cart fits shoppers pulling items from multiple retailers who want one hub instead of repeating a search. Someone who saves an item and comes back later still has the product and the shopping progress. People waiting on a deal or an out-of-stock item are included too, because Google says the tool can notify them when a saved product’s price drops or when that item becomes available again.

Universal Cart also sits with Google’s other AI shopping features, and it is the piece the company just made available in the United States. It joins conversational product discovery in Search’s AI Mode and “Let Google Call,” which uses an AI agent to contact nearby stores and check whether an item is in stock. Google is not the only company bringing AI into e-commerce. Amazon, OpenAI, and other rivals have added agentic commerce features as companies look for ways to make chatbots useful beyond answering questions.

How to try Google’s Universal Cart shopping tool

U.S. users reach Universal Cart across Google Search and the Gemini app, the two places Google named on Thursday. Find a product in search or in the Gemini app, save it to the cart, and move on, which is the path Google described. When the shopper returns, the items and the shopping progress are still there, including products collected from multiple retailers. That list is the central hub Google says people can use for browsing and for keeping track of potential purchases.

Once a product is saved, Google says the cart can help the shopper stay on top of deals and availability. A notification can go out when a saved product’s price drops. Another can go out when an out-of-stock item becomes available again. When it is time to pay, Google says the tool can take credit card perks into account while the user chooses how to pay, and it can surface relevant promo codes. Checkout is tied to UCP, the open standard introduced earlier this year.

What to watch after Google’s Universal Cart shopping tool

The Universal Commerce Protocol is already attached to this cart. Google introduced UCP earlier this year as an open standard meant to help AI agents and retailers work together across different parts of the shopping journey, and checkout is one of those parts. Universal Cart’s checkout is tied to UCP, so the protocol is part of the tool U.S. users received on Thursday. Conversational product discovery in Search’s AI Mode is the related way Google lets people look for products in conversation.

“Let Google Call” is the other shopping feature Google placed beside this launch. That tool uses an AI agent to contact nearby stores and check whether an item is in stock. Google called Universal Cart its latest effort to make AI-powered shopping more convenient. Amazon, OpenAI, and other rivals have added agentic commerce features as companies look for ways to make chatbots useful beyond answering questions. The Thursday release in the U.S. brings the cart, price and stock alerts, perk and promo-code help, and UCP checkout together.