Walmart Launches AI Agents Gateway While Amazon Blocks Them

Walmart Embraces AI Agents While Competitors Block Them

Walmart announced its Agent Gateway and Agent Profiles system on Wednesday, enabling AI agents to shop for customers on Walmart.com and Sam's Club1

. The retailer's embrace of AI-driven shopping stands in stark contrast to Amazon, which recently blocked third-party AI agents including Meta's Muse and Perplexity's shopping agent from making purchases2

. John Furner, Walmart President and CEO, unveiled the plans at the Masters of Scale Summit in San Francisco, signaling the company's commitment to preparing for mainstream adoption of autonomous shopping technology1

Source: The Next Web

The move positions Walmart as a pioneer in AI-powered online commerce, differentiating it from competitors who have responded to growing consumer adoption of AI agents by locking them out completely1

. Walmart already offers integrations with popular AI apps like ChatGPT and Gemini, and had previously partnered with Meta's Muse5

Agent Profiles Enable Controlled AI Shopping

Rolling out next month, Agent Profiles will allow customers to authorize each AI agent they use with a dedicated profile in their account1

. Customers can view agent purchases separately from their own transactions, similar to adding an authorized user on a credit card3

. The system provides granular control through spending limits—customers can set caps like $50, $100, or $200, or require approval for each transaction5

Source: Axios

The Agent Profiles are created automatically the first time a customer uses an agent through the Walmart Agent Gateway1

. Customers authorize and link the profile to their Walmart account, then configure their controls. Importantly, a Walmart+ membership is not required—anyone with a Walmart account can use AI agents to shop for customers1

. Customers retain full control and can delete an Agent Profile at any time2

Walmart Agent Gateway Built on Model Context Protocol

The Walmart Agent Gateway serves as an MCP server designed to help approved agents connect to Walmart over the Model Context Protocol1

. Originally created by Anthropic, the Model Context Protocol allows AI agents to connect to external data sources, tools, and workflows1

. In this implementation, it enables agents to search Walmart's online inventory and complete purchases without the errors that occur when navigating through a standard web browser3

The gateway includes privacy-preserving features that protect customer data. Walmart can help agents find a customer's usual brands or items—such as sourdough bread or a particular brand of milk—without sharing the customer's broader purchase history or personal information directly with the agent2

. This approach gives agents the context they need while maintaining data privacy, a critical concern in e-commerce3

Strict Terms Govern Agent Behavior and Retail Integration

Walmart has established comprehensive terms specifying how AI agents must operate and what rights they have to transact on its site1

. Agents cannot take actions beyond what the shopper intends, cannot access customers' payment information, and can only access information needed for the given task1

. The terms explicitly prohibit agents from changing payment methods or card details5

Purchase approval is enabled by default for all AI shopping, though Walmart may request additional approvals even within established spending limits5

. The retailer's standard returns process applies to all agent purchases, including situations where an agent doesn't act as intended1

. This customer-friendly condition addresses concerns from early adopters worried about ending up with unwanted products due to misbehaving agents. Agents that fail to comply with these terms will be blocked from accessing Walmart's site1

Transparent Pricing and Walmart vs Amazon AI Strategy

Walmart emphasized that prices remain consistent regardless of whether a human or agent makes the purchase. "We price products, not people, so the prices that an AI agent sees are the same prices that a human would see on Walmart.com, with applicable offers and fees shown before purchase," the company stated5

. Furner ruled out personalized pricing in September, though critics like Lindsay Owens of the Groundwork Collaborative have raised concerns about pricing practices5

Source: PYMNTS

The divergent approaches between Walmart and Amazon highlight a fundamental split in how major retailers are responding to AI-powered online commerce4

. Amazon blocked Meta's Muse in September, stating it had not authorized Muse to access customer accounts, scrape data, or process transactions5

. Other financial institutions including Schwab and JPMorgan have similarly blocked AI agents from moving customer money5

. Walmart's open approach positions it to capture early market share in agentic commerce, though the long-term implications for customer behavior, data security, and competitive dynamics in online commerce remain to be seen as these technologies mature.