Google is bringing direct checkout in AI Mode and the Gemini app to Canada. Sabrina Geremia, VP and Country Managing Director at Google Canada, announced on November 4 on Google’s Canadian blog that shoppers there can now buy from eligible retailers without leaving Google, using the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP).

What’s new

  • Canadian shoppers can check out inside AI Mode in Google Search and in the Gemini app, paying with Google Pay and the cards and shipping details saved in Google Wallet.
  • Launch partners are lululemon, select Shopify merchants, Shoppers Drug Mart and Simons.
  • Google says retailers stay the seller of record and can customize how the checkout works.
  • Starting next year, Google plans a simpler UCP setup inside Merchant Center so more retailers can turn on direct checkout for their listings.
  • Support for loyalty rewards is planned for the coming months, with no date given.

UCP is the open standard Google launched earlier in 2026 to cover product discovery, buying and post-purchase support between AI tools and retailers. Google’s post doesn’t say which country is next.

Who it affects

Canadian online stores, especially those on Shopify, and any agency managing Google Shopping or Performance Max for Canadian brands. Google hasn’t published eligibility rules for retailers outside the launch group, and Search Engine Journal noted it also hasn’t said how these orders will show up in Merchant Center and Google Ads reporting. U.S. stores saw a similar move last month with Google’s Universal Cart.

Our take

We wouldn’t chase early access or pay for an app that promises it. The practical move is to get your Merchant Center feed clean now: correct prices, stock, shipping costs and return policies, since those are what an AI checkout will pull from. If you’re on Shopify, watch your admin and Shopify’s changelog for an opt-in, and check that orders from Google channels are tagged so you can see them in your reports when they start. Stores outside the launch group can’t do much more than that until the Merchant Center option opens next year.

Need help with your feed or store setup? Our Shopify development team handles Merchant Center and product data, and our ecommerce SEO service covers how products show up across Google.