Walmart Welcomes AI Shopping Agents in Bid to Rival Amazon

WHO:

Inc - Walmart is the retail company seeking to make it easy for customers to use AI agents to shop.

TechCrunch - Walmart is introducing technology for AI agents to make purchases on customers’ behalf.

TechCrunch - Amazon blocks AI agents from shopping on its site.

WHAT:

Techmeme - Walmart unveiled Agent Gateway, an MCP server for approved AI agents to shop on its website, and dedicated Agent Profiles with special “terms” for AI.

Inc - Walmart’s latest plan to compete with Amazon is to let customers use AI agents to shop.

TechCrunch - Walmart is taking the opposite approach to Amazon by welcoming AI agents to shop on its site.

TechCrunch - Walmart’s technology includes controls over spending and transaction approvals.

WHY:

Inc - Walmart’s AI-agent shopping plan is intended to help it beat Amazon.

TechCrunch - Walmart’s approach differs from Amazon’s policy of blocking AI agents from shopping on its site.

HOW:

Techmeme - Walmart’s Agent Gateway is designed to manage transactions by users’ approved AI agents.

Inc - Walmart says it will make it easy for customers to use AI agents to shop.

TechCrunch - Walmart’s technology allows AI agents to make purchases on customers’ behalf, with controls over spending and transaction approvals.

(UPDATED October 22, 2026 06:02 UTC)

Walmart is opening its online store to AI agents, taking a different approach from Amazon, which blocks them from shopping on its site. The move is part of Walmart’s effort to compete with Amazon by making it easier for customers to shop with help from artificial intelligence. Walmart unveiled Agent Gateway, a system that lets approved AI agents shop on its website on a customer’s behalf. The technology is built to manage those agents’ transactions, while giving shoppers controls over spending and requiring approval for purchases. Walmart is also introducing dedicated Agent Profiles, with special terms designed for AI shopping. Together, the tools are intended to let customers delegate parts of the shopping process while retaining control over how much agents can spend and which transactions they can complete.

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(UPDATED October 22, 2026 03:11 UTC)

Walmart is rolling out technology that lets AI agents shop on its website and make purchases on customers’ behalf, marking a new move in its competition with Amazon. The company says it wants to make it easy for customers to use these digital assistants to find and buy products. Its system also gives customers controls over how much an agent can spend and whether purchases need approval before going through. That means shoppers can delegate parts of the buying process while retaining oversight of transactions. Walmart’s approach stands in sharp contrast to Amazon’s, which blocks AI agents from shopping on its site. The different policies reflect two competing approaches to automated shopping: Walmart is opening its store to AI tools, while Amazon restricts them. Walmart’s plan is aimed at helping the retailer compete with Amazon as customers gain new ways to shop online.