Walmart announces it will let AI agents shop for users
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Walmart announced the Agent Gateway, a server based on the Model Context Protocol (MCP), to connect approved AI agents to its online inventory and let them make purchases on users’ behalf. The feature is available in beta, and Agent Profiles will arrive next month for Walmart accounts; a Walmart+ membership is not required. The company will also support shopping on Sam’s Club.
By default, each purchase will require approval, but customers can set a spending limit. The profiles will separate agent-initiated purchases from personal purchases and can be turned off or deleted at any time. Walmart says agents may not act beyond what the shopper authorizes, change the payment method or access more information than necessary. The company says its returns process also applies to purchases made incorrectly by an agent and that it will block systems that violate the rules. The initiative contrasts with Amazon, which began blocking shopping agents, including Perplexity and Meta’s Muse.
Why it matters · editorial interpretation
The initiative could give agents a more direct role in real-world shopping, while keeping default approval and configurable limits as user controls. Walmart’s announced rules also put authorization, payments, and returns at the center of the experience.
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