**Google’s UCP: Revolutionizing AI-Powered Commerce**
Hey there, fellow tech enthusiasts! Today, I want to share with you some exciting news from the world of AI-powered commerce. Google has just released an open-source standard called Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP), designed to simplify the complex process of integrating commerce functionality into AI-powered assistants. Let’s dive in and explore what this means for the future of shopping!
**The Problem with Current AI-Powered Purchasing**
Have you ever tried to buy something using an AI-powered assistant, only to be directed to a separate website or app to complete the purchase? Yeah, that’s a pain. Currently, each new conversational flow requires multiple integrations between businesses, payment providers, and credential suppliers, making it a cumbersome experience for both customers and developers.
**Enter UCP**
Google’s UCP is an open-source specification that aims to change the game. It defines a standard commerce language that allows AI brokers, businesses, payment providers, and credential suppliers to work together seamlessly across the entire purchasing journey. With UCP, users can discover, purchase, and pay for products in a single, streamlined conversation.
**The Roles and Building Blocks**
So, who are the key players in this ecosystem? Here are the four main actors:
1. **Platform**: The AI-powered purchasing assistant or chat interface.
2. **Enterprise**: The service provider or supplier of the product or service.
3. **Credential Supplier**: Manages payment devices and sensitive information like addresses.
4. **Payment Service Supplier**: Processes payments, captures, and settlements.
**Core Constructs**
UCP also introduces three fundamental constructs:
1. **Capabilities**: Like Checkout, Id Linking, and Order, which define the functionality of the protocol.
2. **Extensions**: Such as Discounts, Achievements, or AP2 Mandates, which extend a capability through an `extends` field.
3. **Providers**: Bind capabilities to transports like REST API, Model Context Protocol, and Agent2Agent.
**The Commerce Lifecycle**
Let’s walk through an example of an AI agent using UCP to complete a purchase:
1. The agent fetches the enterprise profile, discovers available capabilities, and resolves schemas for those capabilities.
2. The agent performs Id Linking with OAuth 2.0 scopes, allowing checkout and order read operations for the service provider.
3. The agent calls the Checkout functionality, passing line objects, customer information, and required context.
4. The server returns a checkout object with line objects, totals, and candidate success choices.
5. The agent applies discounts or loyalty benefits, then asks the user to confirm the final order.
6. Payment is routed through a payment handler that understands a specific payment instrument schema.
7. Once authorized, the enterprise creates an order, and the agent emits webhook events for shipment and publish buy changes.
**Transports, Payments, and Security**
UCP defines a transport layer with bindings for REST, Model Context Protocol, Agent2Agent, and an Embedded Protocol for customized service provider checkout experiences. Payments integrate with Agent Payment Protocol, separating payment devices from handlers and using cryptographically provable mandates to reduce token replay risk.
**Key Takeaways**
1. UCP is an open standard and open-source specification from Google that defines a standard commerce language for AI brokers, businesses, payment providers, and credential suppliers across the total purchasing journey.
2. Over 20 ecosystem players, including Visa, Mastercard, Stripe, PayPal, and more, have endorsed UCP.
3. UCP models commerce through discoverable capabilities and extensible modules, with retailers and brokers negotiating a shared functionality set dynamically.
4. The protocol is transport-agnostic, supporting multiple transport methods.
5. Payments in UCP integrate with Agent Payment Protocol and a modular payment handler design.
If you want to dive deeper into the technical details, check out the GitHub repo and join the conversation on Twitter, Reddit, and Telegram.
