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Unified checkout
Also known as: Unified checkout for AI agents
The pattern where transactions complete inside every major AI agent surface without kicking the shopper to an external browser. Requires ACP + UCP + protocol translation.
Unified checkout is the closed-loop conversion pattern for agentic commerce. When a shopper taps Buy on any agent surface — ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Rufus, Copilot, Claude — the transaction completes inside that agent's conversation without kicking the shopper to your website's cart page.
For brands, unified checkout delivers a measurable conversion lift: 35-55% CVR increase vs. redirect-to-website (Shopify's public data + our cohort). The lift is mechanical — shoppers who commit inside a conversation face zero context switch, zero re-authentication, zero cart abandonment friction.
Unified checkout requires: ACP integration (ChatGPT, Copilot), UCP integration (Gemini, Google Buy for Me), payment stack supporting agent-payment tokens (Stripe, Adyen), consistent merchant-of-record treatment (brand stays MoR — non-negotiable).
Managing all six protocols yourself is a permanent engineering cost. Using an abstraction layer (like Tru Commerce) collapses the implementation to 2-4 weeks and eliminates ongoing maintenance.
See also
Agentic checkout
The general pattern of completing a purchase inside an AI agent conversation, without the shopper leaving to a merchant's website. Includes ACP Instant Checkout, UCP Buy for Me, and equivalents.
ACP (Agentic Commerce Protocol)
OpenAI + Stripe's open protocol for agent-initiated commerce. Powers ChatGPT Instant Checkout and Copilot-adjacent commerce. Enables in-conversation purchase completion without the shopper leaving the agent.
UCP (Universal Commerce Protocol)
Google + Shopify + retail-consortium open protocol for agent commerce, endorsed at NRF 2026 by 20+ retailers including Walmart, Target, Wayfair, Etsy, and (as of Q1 2026) Amazon.
Agent merchant of record
The party legally responsible for the transaction and the customer relationship when an agent closes a sale. Determines who owns the customer data, refund handling, and margin capture.
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