Google’s universal shopping cart will keep tabs on your purchases

Google is announcing a series of updates to Shopping today, the most notable of which is probably its new Universal Cart. Universal Cart is a tool that brings all your purchases under one roof and allows you to shop from multiple locations. Essentially, you’ll be able to add products to that cart from every corner of Google’s mansion, including search, YouTube, and Gmail. Once you add a product to the cart, the system’s agentic AI will get to work finding the cheapest price, comparing price trends, and telling you where the items you’re looking for are in stock.

One of the biggest benefits of Universal Cart is that it was designed to anticipate problems you might not have thought of. In the business example, someone purchasing components for a custom PC could pick them up from a wide variety of retailers. If the cart detects a problem, like if two of the parts are not compatible with each other, it will report it before sending you your payment information. If you use Google Wallet, the system will also know which merchants you like, with whom you have loyalty programs, and will try to flag any options for additional savings or maximizing points.

And when you’re ready to hand over the money, the system is designed to make the interface between Google Shopping and the retailer seamless. Naturally, it will be even faster and easier if said retailer uses Google Wallet, like Nike, Sephora, Target, Fenty and Steve Madden. Universal Cart is rolling out across the Google family this summer. You’ll find it first in Shopping, Search and Gemini, with YouTube and Gmail arriving later in the year.

Other features announced today include the rollout of Google’s Universal Commerce Protocol, which uses AI to bridge the gaps between online payment platforms and retailers. This will come to Canada and Australia in the coming months, with the UK expected to follow afterward. Additionally, UCP will soon connect to YouTube in the United States, as part of that platform’s near-continuous evolution into an online shopping channel.