Google’s Universal Cart is rolling out across search and the Gemini app in the US, just ahead of Black Friday and the holiday shopping season.
Think less browser extension, more a way to shop within Google.
The Universal Cart is an AI-powered shopping tool that helps you stay on top of products you’re considering buying from a variety of retailers you encounter on Google. If you want to continue shopping later, Google will save your products and progress so you can pick up where you left off. The cart will refresh listings for over 60 billion products to keep an eye on price changes and low-stock alerts in Google’s Shopping Graph.
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It can also alert you to price drops and when an item is back in stock.
Once you’ve narrowed your purchase, the Universal Cart — built on Google Wallet — can help you find promotional savings and choose which credit card reaps the most rewards. When you’re ready to buy, Google uses the Universal Commerce Protocol for checkout, and you can make purchases from your cart using Google Pay. Or you can move the items from Google to the merchant cart to finish your purchase. Your purchase confirmations and customer support will still come from the retailer.
However, there are some caveats. You’ll need to start through Google to shop, not the merchant’s website. It’s not quite a browser extension to add a button to every website you visit.
Meanwhile, Meta is touting the shopping capabilities of its newly introduced Muse AI agent.
Google previewed the Universal Cart in May at its I/O developer forum.
Dashia Milden
Senior Consumer Insights Editor
Dashia is the consumer insights editor for CNET. She specializes in data-driven analysis and news at the intersection of tech, personal finance and consumer sentiment. Dashia investigates economic shifts and everyday challenges to help readers make well-informed decisions, and she covers a range of topics, including technology, security, energy and money. Dashia graduated from the University of South Carolina with a bachelor's degree in journalism. She loves baking, teaching spinning and spending time with her family. See full bio