UCP is here. Is your delivery promise ready for AI agents?
Anastasiia Starchenko
UCP is here. Is your delivery promise ready for AI agents?
Two weeks ago, the retail tech world lit up with news of the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP) — a partnership between Shopify and Google that promises to reshape how AI agents interact with online stores, which followed OpenAI's earlier Agentic Commerce Protocol (ACP).The initial reactions are over, we're past the hot takes. Now comes the harder part — making sense of what UCP actually means and what consumer brands need to do in 2026 to stay competitive.
The gap between knowing and doing
There's always been a disconnect in retail AI adoption — between industry buzzwords and ground-level strategy, between conceptual potential and operational reality. Awareness of AI in retail has never been higher, but organizational readiness lags far behind the pace of change.
Retail leaders know consumers are already using AI agents to discover, browse, and buy. They know agentic commerce is coming. What they don't always know is how to get there, what infrastructure they need, or which tools will actually work when AI agents ask questions.
Why most brands struggle with delivery
There's always been a disconnect in retail AI adoption — between industry buzzwords and ground-level strategy, between conceptual potential and operational reality. Awareness of AI in retail has never been higher, but organizational readiness lags far behind the pace of change.
- OpenAI's Agentic Commerce Protocol (ACP)
- Google and Shopify are accelerating agentic commerce in 2026
- Ingrid's Delivery API already supports
Retail leaders know consumers are already using AI agents to discover, browse, and buy. They know agentic commerce is coming. What they don't always know is how to get there, what infrastructure they need, or which tools will actually work when AI agents ask questions.
As Anastasiia Starchenko, Co-Director at Ingrid, puts it: “Retail leaders know consumers are already using AI agents to discover, browse, and buy. They know agentic commerce is coming. What they don't always know is how to get there, what infrastructure they need, or which tools will actually work when AI agents ask questions.”
What UCP actually changes
With the introduction of UCP, Google and Shopify are accelerating agentic commerce in 2026, and AI agents are truly becoming a structured interface for discovery and shopping. UCP lets AI agents connect with retailers to browse products, manage carts, apply discounts, access loyalty programs, and complete checkout across millions of retailers and billions of transactions. Add to that delivery options, payment methods and rules that differ based on properties of the cart, customer, and region.
- Ingrid's Delivery API already supports
- OpenAI's Agentic Commerce Protocol (ACP)
- Google and Shopify are accelerating agentic commerce in 2026
Let’s consider delivery. Just as in traditional browser-based shopping, customers want delivery times they can trust and options they can choose with ease. Brands offering multiple delivery options see an average 27% increase in checkout conversions, yet if a package arrives late, one in three consumers blame the brand, not the shipping carrier.
Retail leaders know consumers are already using AI agents to discover, browse, and buy. They know agentic commerce is coming. What they don't always know is how to get there, what infrastructure they need, or which tools will actually work when AI agents ask questions.
FAQs
What is Ingrid Delivery Checkout?
Ingrid Delivery Checkout is a tool designed to improve the online shopping experience by allowing retailers to offer shoppers personalized delivery options at checkout. With Ingrid, you can seamlessly integrate delivery options that best suit your customers' needs, whether they prefer home delivery, pick-up points, or same-day delivery services. We automate the process of finding the best carriers and shipping options for each product, region, and customer.
How does Ingrid Checkout work?
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What types of delivery options does Ingrid offer?
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How many carriers does Ingrid support?
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