Walmart opens an MCP gateway for AI shopping agents

Walmart has introduced its own AI shopping agent gateway, according to TechCrunch. CEO John Furner announced the new Agent Gateway during a summit in San Francisco, following Amazon's recent restriction on AI agents from making purchases for shoppers. The centerpiece is the Agent Gateway, a new MCP server that allows approved agents to connect to Walmart through the model context protocol, developed by Anthropic to enable agents to access external data sources and tools.

This means agents can search Walmart's inventory and make purchases for users without sharing personal information directly with the agent. The gateway also supports Sam's Club and allows customers to shop for familiar brands or items while keeping their purchase history private. Anyone with a Walmart account can use the agent support, and Agent Profiles, which roll out next month, create a dedicated profile for each agent used.

Customers can manage controls for these profiles, linking them to their account and setting approval options for purchases. Purchases made by agents will be separate from the customer's own, and customers can choose how transactions are approved, either requiring their sign-off or allowing the agent to spend up to a set limit. Walmart has also introduced terms for agents, outlining how they must operate and the rights they have to transact on the site.

If agents do not comply, they will be blocked from the site. The report does not provide pricing, a list of approved agents, or a rollout date for the Agent Gateway itself, except for the timing of Agent Profiles, which is stated as next month.