One cart for many shops: Google launches Universal Cart in Search and Gemini

Google on Thursday launched "Universal Cart" in the US, a cross-retailer shopping cart in Google Search and the Gemini app. Products users find, for example in Search's AI Mode or in a chat with Gemini land in one shared cart and can be paid for together – via Google Pay or by handing over to the retailer's own site. Google describes it as an "intelligent shopping cart" and a new hub for shopping on Google.

The cart flags price drops and items back in stock, suggests the right card from Google Wallet and applies available promo codes automatically. According to Google, launch partners include Nike, Sephora, Target, Ulta Beauty, Walmart, Wayfair and many Shopify merchants; the retailers remain the sellers and handle orders and customer service. Checkout runs on the open Universal Commerce Protocol that Google introduced in January.

At its I/O developer conference in May, Google had said the cart would also come to YouTube and Gmail – neither is mentioned in the current announcement. Google has not said whether or when Universal Cart will reach Europe. According to the trade site PPC Land, it also remains unclear what fees retailers pay and whether ads will appear in the cart.